Jericho(Nassau Count): O'LearyCorrespondence re affiliation dispute of Nassau Community College Adjunct Faculty
Association; memo from John O'Leary, head of Jericho office, asking urgently for more field
representatives; other issues re Nassau Regional Office

New York City: Ficcio/Federation of Catholic TeachersMemo re Federation of Catholic Teachers organizing campaign; correspondence re tensions
between FCT and NYSUT field representatives; preliminary report, "Prospects for Organizing the
Research Foundation of the State University of New York"; memo re results of affiliation
election at Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Buffalo Western Regional Office: Uba, RonStatement of charges against individual tenured teacher by Board of Education of Lockport
City School District re misconduct, insubordination and incompetence; correspondence re
affiliation elections in Jamestown and Wellsville

Jim Conti BOCES ConferenceNovember 15, 1979. Newsletters; BOCES conference program; Labor-Management Reporting and
Disclosure Act Interpretive Bulletin; agenda for Coordinators' Meeting; draft Report of
Coordinators Committee; list of locals in arrears as of October 9, 1979; Report on the 58th
Representative Assembly of the National Education Association, July 2-5, 1979, prepared for
officers and staff of the American Federation of Teachers by director of field communications;
transcript of Secretary-Treasurer Lane Kirkland's Press Conference, Executive Council meeting;
whit paper, The UAW Reaffiliation with the AFL-CIO; letter re sexual misconduct hearing of
individual teacher; supplement to the 1978 Policy Handbook

3

Board of Directors MeetingDecember 7, 1979. Agenda; summary of actions taken at December 7-8, 1979, meeting; proposed
resolution on Board of Regents Recommendation on Corporal Punishment; interim policy statement
on State Education Department's proposal to redesign business education in New York State;
proposed position paper on registration of secondary schools; resolution for Public Employees
Federation affiliation and agreement; balance sheets; proposed regulations for children with
handicapping conditions; Regents recommendations on teaching as a profession and teacher
competence

National Public Employer Labor Relations: Strike Manual Part 2: Legal
remedies available to a public employer in the event of an Illegal Strike"Legal Remedies Available to a Public Employer in the Event of an Illegal Strike"

4

Union Representative's Guide to NLRB RC and CA cases"A Survival Kit for Union Representatives Exploring the Mysterious Regions of the National
Labor Relations Board," a Policy & Practice publication by Center for Labor Research
and Education, Institute of Industrial Relations, University of California, Los Angeles

Proposal to Establish the Career Development Network of the SUNY
Community CollegesProposal submitted to New York State Department of Labor by Office of Community Colleges,
SUNY

4

NYSUT Division of Research and Educational Services: Community College
DataData Relative to NYS Community Colleges under SUNY Jurisdiction, Budgeted Revenues and
Expenditures for 1978-79, September 1979; Revenues & Expenditures for 1977-78; 1977-78
Teacher Contract Analysis summary, September 1978

NEA "For the Record" Press ClippingsBound collection of nationwide news clippings re NYSUT, AFT, AAUP, and other organizations
considered unfriendly to or competing with the National Education Association, complied by NEA
and annotated to highlight negative items

NYEA : United Teachers Board Objections/Ex listLetter from Public Employment Relations Board that petition for
certification/decertification had been filed by United Teachers of Buffalo and NYSUT; letter
from trial examiner John Crotty to NYEA attorney that Buffalo Teachers Federation might raise
allegations of fraud re United Teachers of Buffalo; preliminary list of objections

Legal RochesterCorrespondence re denial of maternity leave; possible human rights violation/
constitutionally impermissible reason for dismissal of teacher for "lifestyle choice not
consistent with traditional conservative values" of South Seneca Central School district; plan
to abolish home-hospital tutor program in Rochester school district

Legal SyracuseLegal brief, stay of arbitration and responses, North Syracuse Central School District;
petition to vacate arbitration award re salary schedules in Marcellus Central School District,
responses, and related motions; tenure/ seniority issues; list of school districts
participating in the New York State School Boards Association Legal Assistance Fund

Elmsford: Klein (1 of 2)Decision by Public Employment Relations Board in representation election at Garrison Union
Free School District; proposals for mainstreaming generated by Harrison bargaining team

NYC: Tony FiccioCorrespondence re possible strike at NYU; legal brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Second Circuit, NLRB and Lay Faculty Association v. Bishop Ford Central High School

7

Associated Community College FacultiesProposal for Affiliation, presented by the New York Educators Association and the National
Education Association; correspondence re campaign to urge affiliation with NYSUT

7

AFL: CIO Executive Council-President Meany TranscriptsTranscript of press conference by AFL-CIO Executive Council President George Meany during
Executive Council meeting

7

American Federation of TeachersCorrespondence; brochures, pins

7

Ad: Hoc Committee for School Related PersonnelList of concerns re relations between teachers and non-teaching school personnel, discussed
at meeting; list of association members of committee; list of pending legislation opposed by
NYSUT for adversely affecting non-professional staff

AlcoholismLetter from Niagara County Council on Alcoholism Employee Assistance Program Division, with
attached survey on labor union attitudes toward the need for alcoholism program; map of
Colonie/West Albany executive homes

7

ArbitrationArbitration award in the matter between Professional Staff Association and NYSUT

7

Arbitrator's FeesMemo to Jim Conti listing two arbitrators who were felt to have charged too-high fees

7

BargainingBackground report, "The Right to Strike in Public Employment," Antoine Aboud and Grace
Sterrett Aboud, New York State Industrial & Labor Relations (NYSSILR, Cornell
University), 1974; materials about teacher representation elections; occasional paper from the
Institute of Public Employment, New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations,
Cornell University, "Productivity Bargaining in New York: What Went Wrong?" April 1975;
Collective Bargaining Quarterly, National Education Association (NEA), April 1976

Comprehensive Employment and Training ActCETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) 1978 NYSUT Information Bulletin re CETA,
1978; NYS Manpower Services Council, Federal Register reprint, Comprehensive Employment and
Training Act: Compilation of Current Regulations for Titles I, II, and VI, 1977; text of Title
V, National Commission for Employment and Training Policy; newsletter, CETA News &
Views; glossary of terms; text of CETA reauthorization, Comprehensive Employment and Training
Amendments of 1978; New York State Manpower Services Council Annual Conference materials,
"CETA: Its Past, Present and Future," 1978; Suffolk County CETA Eligibility Guide; New York
State Manpower Services Council Reports from the People on CETA: Proceedings of its Conference
on CETA's Reenactment, n.d.; list of members of New York State Manpower Services Council;
NYSUT position statement on CETA, passed by NYSUT Board of Directors, March 18, 1978;
arbitration award, Voluntary Labor Arbitration Tribunal, in the matter of Onondaga Central
Non- Instructional Association and Onondaga Central School District

8

Legal CasesCommissioner's decisions in Tonawanda Board of Education, Board of Education of the City of
New York, and other cases; Court of Appeals cases; NYS Supreme Court cases; U.S. District
Court cases for the Northern District of New York

Community College Statistical DataNYSUT Information Bulletin re State University of New York Community Colleges Status Report,
November 29, 1978; re 1978 Supplemental Budget, October 1978; Data Relative to New York State
Community Colleges under SUNY Jurisdiction: Budgeted Revenues & Expenses for 1977-78,
November 1978, September 1978; data for May 1978; State Aid to Community Colleges under SUNY
Jurisdiction, 1977-78; NYPERB 1975-1976 Community College Report summarizing salaries and
fringe benefits; Compilation of Statistical Data Concerning the Community Colleges of the
State University of New York, Office of Community Colleges, State University of New York,
August 1977

Contracts/AgreementsStandard teacher contract provision with school district; agreements between NYSUT and
Communication Workers of America, AFL-CIO, Local 1141, effective May 5, 1976 to August 21,
1979 and September 1, 1974 to August 31, 1977; proposed NYSUT NYSUT Legal Staff Association
Collective Bargaining Agreement, effective April 1, 1976 to March 31, 1979, and April 8, 1976
to August 31, 1979; NYSUT PSA (Professional Staff Association) Collective Bargaining
Agreement, effective September 1, 1974 to August 31, 1979 as amended February 18, 1976;
effective September 1, 1974 to August 21, 1977; memo from Jim Conti to coordinators re
contract language re Social Security

8

CoordinatorsCorrespondence over a variety of issues, including NEA campaign materials found in central
New York, UUP campaign, tenure and seniority for different classifications of teaching and
non-teaching staff; NYPERB arbitration award between Hicksville Congress of Teachers and
Hicksville Free School District #17; NYPERB decision and order, Great Neck Union Free School
District (Respondent) and Education Association of Great Neck (NYEA/NEA) (Charging Party) and
Great Neck Teachers Association (Intervenor); urgent memo re NYEA appeal of Maryvale
decision

8

Coordinator's MeetingsMeeting agenda, December 19, 1978; letter of resignation to NYSUT President Tom Hobart from
coordinator Robert McKensie, citing "havoc" forced upon locals by NYSUT, disaffiliation
problem interfering with personal and professional relationships, September 19, 1976; NEA-AFT
fact sheet re membership gains/losses, as of August 1, 1976; "Staff Line" newsletter by NEA
staff organization, highly critical of NEA; Teacher Representation Elections as reported to
the organizing office of the National Education Association, July 1975-June 1976; list of
disaffiliated locals, with membership totals

Crisis/Strikes"East Irondequoit: A School District In Crisis: A Special Report prepared at the request of
the East Irondequoit Teachers Association," May 1975; list of NYSUT Teacher Defense
Activities: Local Assistance Strike & Crisis Situations, September 1, 1975 July 31,
1976

8

Current DevelopmentsItems of interest to unions in Bureau of National Affairs Current Developments, June 16 and
18, 1976; "Orienting the New Union Member: An SEIU Guide for Building a Strong, Informed Local
Union Membership," n.d., c. 1976

Executive CommitteeMinutes of Executive Committee meeting of October 9, October 25, and November 17, 1978;
financial statement as of October 31, 1978; field services activity report for June 1977- June
1978

LegislationReprint from Industrial and Labor Relations Review (Cornell University), "Reinstatement
after Termination: Public School Teachers," 1978; NYS Assembly members voting records on key
bills affecting teachers, 1977-78; articles debating the need for a separate federal
Department of Education; lists of bills signed into law or awaiting action by governor; text
of emergency executive order by Gov. Carey and state energy office imposing restrictions on
nonessential use of natural gas; reports by State Education Department Office of the Counsel,
1976 and 1977 Summary of New Legislation Affecting Education

9

LegislationText of legislation in Senate-Assembly re municipal overburden aid (emergency financial aid
to certain cities), January 18, 1977; text of bills amending civil service law; opinion by NYS
Department of Audit and Control re employment of spouse of member of Board of Education

9

Library AcquisitionsMonthly list of selected acquisitions by NYSUT Division of Research and Educational
Services

9

LocalsChecklist of questions in assessing a local's strengths and weaknesses; letter to Jamestown
local members urging vote to retain affiliation with NYSUT, May 4, 1976; lists of
disaffiliated locals; letter to members of locals that have voted to disaffiliate, urging them
to retain individual membership, May 4, 1976; list of locals in arrears; list of secondary
locals formed from disaffiliated locals

NEA (National Education Association)Actions of the NEA Board of Directors and Executive Committee; revisions to by-laws and
other actions taken by Representative Assembly; UniServe and Leadership Training Program
manual; confidential report on the 115th Annual Meeting/ 56th Representative Assembly of the
National Education Association, July 1-6, 1977, by Ned Hopkins, Assistant to the President,
NYSUT

9

New York Educator's Association (NYEA)New York Educators Association Notes to Financial Statement Major Variance Explanation,
noting budget for fiscal 1977-78 was based on projected membership growth patterns that did
not materialize; membership summary report; NYEA recruiting letters; NYSUT memos re NYEA
activities; letter of resignation to President Thomas Hobart from Ned Hopkins, citing total
control by Albert Shanker, belief that NYSUT does not represent the interest of teachers, May
8, 1978; organizational comparison between NEA and AFT; resume of Thomas Doig and related
correspondence

9

NYS Education DepartmentRecommendations of the Commissioner's Task Force on Teacher Education and Certification,
April 1, 1977; Interim NYSUT Policy Statement on the New York State Education Department's
Curriculum Mandate Study, 1977

9

NYS Department of LaborCorrespondence re request by state Department of Labor for updated roster of NYSUT locals
and local presidents

Human RightsFederal Register regulations by Department of Health, Education, and Welfare,
"Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Sex: Education Programs and Activities Receiving or
Benefiting from Federal Financial Assistance," June 4, 1975; NYSUT cover memo to regional
coordinators with attached Rules of Procedure from the state Division of Human Rights, October
2, 1974

9

Improper PracticesNYS Public Employment Relations Board Improper Practice Charge complaints by various teacher
associations against various school districts; related memos

9

Legal MemosMemos from NYSUT legal counsel re Commissioner's position on tenure in occupational subject
areas, replacement of nurse-teachers with RNs, need for NYSUT to "maintain the image of
protecting teachers of all varieties"

Library ListsMonthly list of selected acquisitions by NYSUT Division of Research and Educational
Services

9

New York Education Association (NYEA)Article in U.S. News & World Report on millions of dollars of wasted money by the
AFT and NEA in jurisdictional battle, April 5, 1976; NYEA/NEA and NYSUT/AFT recruiting
materials; reports on 1977 NEA convention by NYSUT operatives; report on 1977 NYSUT Delegate
Assembly by NEA operatives; memos re NYEA activities; Common Sense, special publication for
NEA delegates, "The New York Disaffiliation: A History of the Underlying Factors"

10

Negotiations AssignmentsLists of assignments by service area

10

Public Employment Relations Board (P.E.R.B)Issues of PERB News, newsletter of the New York State Public Employment Relations Board;
letter to Jim Conti from PERB chairman Harold R. Newman re North Warren Central School
District case

Public Relations and MiscNYSUT Public Relations Project for 1979, with cover memo from president Tom Hobart to Board
of Directors; statements and reports adopted by the AFL-CIO Executive Council, October 31,
1978; memo from Al Shanker to AFT vice presidents, state federation presidents, and 50 largest
locals, urging non-participation in Department of Labor's "P.R. show" to elicit support for
voluntary wage controls, November 28, 1978; Labor Law Journal reprint, "Public Sector Union
Security: The Impact of Abood," November 1978

TrainingProposal and outline for school representatives course on organizing, grievances, local
governance, and legal rights; letter from Rhode Island Federation of Teachers, asking to be
kept apprised of training opportunities

Potsdam North County LegalLegal memos re grievances by individual teachers; memo re "very substantial loss leaders" in
North Country

10

Western New York Leadership ConferenceAugust 26-28, 1981. Letters of invitation from coordinator Ron Uba to chairman of NYS
Mediation Board Msgr. James Healy, Assistant Industrial Commissioner, NYS Department of Labor,
Louis Cambria, and other labor and community leaders; follow-up communication from Uba on
non-NYSUT letterhead

10

Service Committee (Services to Locals)Summary of December 11, 1980, Services Committee meeting, outlining service program
responsibilities; confidential memo from Jim Conti discussing role of Services Committee in
assisting field representatives; details of services provided to locals, by regional
office

11

Rochester Collective Bargaining ChallengeRepresentation Election Campaign Proposal for the Rochester Teachers Association (NYSUT);
confidential memo to Jim Conti re need to maintain high level of services in order to maintain
membership levels; memo re services that can provided other than bargaining and grievances;
memo re need to organize locals that yield 100 members or more; campaign flyers by NYSUT and
NYEA/NEA; activity report

Syracuse: LegalLetter to Commissioner Gordon Ambach, report to NYS Department of Social Services, and
related material re Parents' Concerns about the Onondaga-Madison BOCES Program for the Deaf,
Camillus Junior High School, 1979-1980; transcript of hearing in dismissal of bus mechanic,
Lafayette Central School District, 1980

Legal: Western NYState Education Department Notice of Substantial Question as to Moral Character in the
matter of the certificate held by John H. Swem, Peter Caesar Zeppeiro, Kenneth Snyder, and
Donald H. Poole to teach in the public schools of New York, with memos re legal rights,
question of whether NYSUT should defend in 3020a hearing; arbitration decision re salary
grievance in Elba Central School case, and related memos; Court of Appeals memorandum
upholding Tonawanda arbitration award re Central Square Teachers Association, memos re
petition for order to vacate award; PERB decision re Sweet Home Central School District and
Sweet Home Employees Association

11

General Correspondence, Monthly MinderAppointment calendar

11

Correspondence: CoordinatorsMemos to all regional coordinators re State Education Department procedures for 3020a
hearings; booklet on the perils of self-funding health insurance, by the Blue Cross/Blue
Shield marketing department; updates on (Reagan administration) Federal Labor Relations
Authority decertification of air traffic controllers union (PATCO); memo re NEA contract
settlement in San Francisco; summary of state Occupational Health and Safety (OSHA) inspection
standards for school buildings; memos re organizing substitute teachers, including memo from
NYS School Boards Association; memo noting request from AFT for information re potential
strikes at locals and other organizing information; NYSUT legal department research noting
that equal disability benefits for pregnancy do not apply to public school districts; text of
NLRB decision re 4201 schools (New York Institute for the Blind) with memo; memo re
unemployment insurance appeal board decision

Chatham TA: Faye R. Shincock & Kevin BerryCorrespondence re NYSUT refusal to provide legal representation for members of Chatham
Central School Teachers Association, October 9, 1981; related confidential memos; letter from
NYSUT field representative Kevin Berry to president of Chatham Teachers Association, agreeing
with interpretation of school district in parental leave of absence case, advising withdrawal
of grievance, February 5, 1980; letter from Barry informing Chatham president that NYSUT would
not provide legal assistance for fundraising activities, October 1980; confidential letter
from Jim Conti to regional coordinator Stan Kern, expressing disappointment at Chatham
Teachers Association vote to disaffiliate, directing closer scrutiny of service reports and
monitoring of relationships with locals, December 8, 1981

12

Al Carbone/Massena Case: Attorney: Tom SniderCommissioner's decision re abolition of teaching position held by Alessandro Carbone; cover
memo from Jim Conti asserting that there had been no basis for Carbone's appeal, 1982; letters
to NYSUT president Tom Hobart and directors from Carbone's private attorney, seeking legal
representation from NYSUT on behalf of his client, noting resistance from Jim Conti and staff,
requesting union charter with respect to obligations to assist members, August 1981; related
material

12

Ronald Carmichael, Livingston/Steuben/Wyoming BOCESLetter from Jim Conti, stating that legal counsel determined that the merits of the case do
not warrant legal representation by NYSUT; background material

Suffolk LocalsMemos from or about locals complaining of inadequate service; confidential memo asserting
that smaller locals do not generate enough dues income to warrant more than minimal service;
memo from NYSUT president Tom Hobart asserting that smaller locals do not receive visits from
field representatives often enough

13

Bahr, Dan: Suffolk Service CenterActivity reports

13

Baron, Richie: Suffolk Service CenterActivity reports

13

Steve Bluth: Suffolk Service CenterActivity reports

13

Calabrese, Ray: Suffolk Service CenterActivity reports

13

Feinberg, Marty: Suffolk Service CenterActivity reports

13

Hogan, Dave: Suffolk Service CenterActivity reports

13

Hogan, Dave: Suffolk Service Center-CorrespondenceLetters re work performance, including reprimand and charge for damage to vehicle; letter
from Professional Staff Association in defense of Hogan

13

Horowitz, Sy: Suffolk Service CenterActivity reports

13

Newcomb, Dick: Suffolk Service CenterActivity reports

13

Rubstein, George: Suffolk Service CenterActivity reports

13

Schirmer, Dolores: Suffolk Service CenterActivity reports

13

James Mathews: Syracuse Service CenterActivity reports

13

Luczak, Paul: Western NY Service CenterActivity reports

13

Myron Green: Rochester Service CenterActivity reports

13

Lynn Duggan: NYC Service CenterActivity reports

13

Art Cardinali: Albany Service CenterActivity reports

13

Steve Bluth: Nassau Service CenterActivity reports

13

Berkhoudt, John: United University ProfessionsActivity reports

13

Fineman, Bill: United University ProfessionsActivity reports

13

Day, Fred: United University ProfessionsActivity reports

13

Knudson, Doris: United University ProfessionsActivity reports

13

Manke, Paul: United University ProfessionsActivity reports

13

Moritz, Jan: United University ProfessionsActivity reports

13

Ruby Nicholson: Rochester Service Center, United University
ProfessionalsActivity reports

NYS Public Employees Federation: John J. Kraemer ScandalNewspaper clippings, transcript of press conference, arbitration award, and notes re former
president of Public Employees Federation John J. Kraemer, who allegedly was on state Labor
Department payroll for no-show job for ten years and controlled large, secret union slush
fund

Pollution Problems at Nassau Community College (1 of 2)Draft, Engineering Report, Nassau Community College: Investigation of Ventilation Problems
in Chemistry Laboratories, County of Nassau Department of Public Works; NIOSH (National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Department of Health and Human Services)
investigative reports; correspondence

15

Pollution Problems at Nassau Community College (2 of 2)Engineering Report, Nassau Community College: Investigation of Ventilation Problems in
Chemistry Laboratories, County of Nassau Department of Public Works

15

North Country Regional Office CorrespondenceMemo from Jim Conti to NYSUT legal counsel Bernard Ashe re developmental kindergarten, with
attached materials including a legal petition to the Commissioner of Education against the
Norwood-Norfolk Central School for establishing such a kindergarten; confidential memos re
difficult client in 3020a case involving Malone teacher Andy Simay (Potsdam, Plattsburgh,
Watertown)

15

North Country Regional Office: RJ Allen RSD ReportsList of locals served by two field representatives and memos re their activities; extensive
memo re North Country (Plattsburgh) operations, results of survey of locals

15

NYC Regional Office CorrespondenceAgreement between City School District of the City of New York and United Federation of
Teachers; letter from UFT president Sandra Feldman excoriating Louis Grument, executive
director of NYS School Boards Association, for misquoting her in advertisement in Legislative
Gazette, May 29; NYS School Boards Association Legislative Bulletin, headlining "Regents to
Address Home Instruction"; proposed safety and health regulations by Cornell University
Adjunct Faculty Federation

Rochester Regional Office: CorrespondenceOperational overview and recommendations, by Ray Samson; summary of staff meeting;
instruction from Ray Samson to field representatives on how to write Service and Assessment
(SAR) reports; PERB decision in East Irondequoit Teachers Association, NYSUT v. East
Irondequoit Central School District and Board of Cooperative Educational Services for the
First Supervisory District of Monroe County; City of Rochester Mayor Thomas P. Ryan memo to
all city employees re executive policy re alcohol and controlled substances testing; memos re
marital status discrimination resolution by Webster Teachers Association; letters re long-term
NYSUT member's inability to join Phelps-Clifton Springs Faculty Association because of
political discrimination and harassment; memo from PERB and Jim Conti re establishment of
labor-management committees

15

Rochester Regional Office: Ray Samson RSD ReportsActivity reports

15

Southern Tier Regional Office: Chuck Rodgers (1 of 3)Transcript of a meeting between NYSUT representatives and representative of school
superintendent re allegations of marijuana and cocaine use by three teachers, December 12,
1987; list of locals that settled their EIT (Excellence in Teaching) negotiations for 1987-88;
PERB decision re Elmira Teachers Association, Local 2638 NYSUT v. Elmira City School District
re EIT funds, intended for teacher salary improvements; related materials re distribution of
funds; proposed policy regarding AIDS and other infectious or contagious diseases, developed
by Chenango Forks school district, with cover letters questioning constitutionality, November
1987; telelearning guidebook and related memos re Delaware-Chenango BOCES; material re tenure
issue at Windsor School District

Suffolk Regional Office: CorrespondenceState Court of Appeals opinion in the matter of Patchogue-Medford Congress of Teachers v.
Board of Education of the Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District, and related materials;
material re science complex ventilation problems at Sayville Junior High School, January 1987;
letters of praise for NYSUT field representatives; letter to Jim Conti and other NYSUT
officers indicating dissatisfaction with fees for service charged by arbitrator Marty
Scheinman in Port Jefferson case, September 22, 1987

Regional Staff Directors Memos (2 of 4)State Education Department documents, "Substance-Free Schools in New York State: Planning
and Policy Guidelines" and "Guidelines for twelve-month programs for eligible students with
handicapping conditions"; PERB decision of administrative law judge in the matter of State of
New York (Division of State Police), respondent, and Police Benevolent Association of the New
York State Troopers, Inc., charging party; Insider's Report: A Special Bulletin for Leaders of
Concerned Educators against Forced Unionism, with cover memo from Jim Conti to regional staff
directors, asking if organization was active in their areas

16

Regional Staff Directors Memos (3 of 4)Outline of purposes of Regional Staff Director meetings, adopted by consensus; text of
smoking regulations promulgated by the NYS Department of Health, with cover memo from Jim
Conti, noting consultation with legal counsel Bernard Ashe; memo re delegate selection for the
Democratic National Convention, related legal opinion; letter from president of Genesee
Educational Association (NEA), inviting faculty to meeting, with cover letter from Jim Conti
asking regional directors to check whether the letter had been received by any community
colleges in their area or whether they knew of anyone who attended the meeting; salary
schedule increase for 1985-86 and 1986-87; U.S. Department of Labor reinterpretation of
"reasonable assurance" of continued employment under unemployment provisions; PERB
administrative law judge decision in Elmira City School District, respondent, and Elmira
Teachers Association, charging party, declaring Excellence in Teaching funds a mandatory
subject of bargaining; Court of Appeals decision re liability of employer or employee
associations for injuries caused by drunk driving of off-duty employees

16

Regional Staff Directors Memos (4 of 4)NYSUT Local Leaders' Guide to Research and Educational Services; memo re procedures for
creation of badges using file maker software; memo from Jim Conti re junk food law, and
potential for removal of soda vending machines from teachers' lounges as unilateral change in
condition of employment, required issue for negotiation; memo re AFL-CIO modification of
policy on affiliation of independent units; memo from NYSUT president Tom Hobart re state
Right-to-Know law re hazardous substances in the workplace; PERB decisions re agency fees,
appropriateness of an improper practice charge in the absence of a grievance, and Freedom of
Information Act request

Organizing: John O'LearyMemo re organizing at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital; handbook by John O'Leary re organizing
procedures, with summary of 1984 survey by AFL-CIO and analysis of techniques, and attitude
survey of white collar professionals, by Meany Center and ILGWU

Buffalo Regional Office, MiscellaneousDescriptive brochure, "The Employee Assistance Program (EAP): A Primer," Western New York
United Against Drug Alcohol Abuse; NYSUT Western Regional Office newsletters, Taking the Lead,
c. 1988

16

Elmsford Regional Office: CorrespondenceComplaint by Eastchester Teachers Association about NYSUT counsel Sandler (Sandner?)
representation in dispute with returning suspended principal of Eastchester High School;
letter from law firm Finger & Finger, offering to represent union members in Workers'
Compensation cases; letter from members of United Staff Association of Putnam/North
Westchester BOCES Local 3072, complaining about violations of bylaws and rules of order by
NYSUT field representative and president of staff association; memo re automatic debit system;
memo and related materials re Pledge of Allegiance in classrooms; letter from teacher and
reply re meager wages for special education teachers; analysis of federal Medicare legislation
re catastrophic costs, impact on retirees' state Empire Plan benefits; memo re changes in
Empire Plan; flyers in contract dispute by United Staff Association of Putnam/Northern
Westchester BOCES; letters re United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) organizing efforts at
Price Chopper in Newburgh, strained relations between labor affiliates; letter to NYSUT
executive director Jim Wood from regional staff director Robert Klein urgently requesting
additional staff in absence of field representatives on disability or limited work assignment,
March 11

16

Jamestown Regional Office: CorrespondenceMemos re Jamestown General Hospital Nurses Association, request by management for contract
concessions, possible merger with another health care facility; report by the Citizens'
Hospital Committee, "A Study of Health Care Facilities and Services in the Jamestown Area";
text of regulations from state health department re acquisition of a hospital; memorandum from
mayor of Jamestown to City Council re asset purchase agreement for Jamestown General Hospital,
June 17; statement to the City of Jamestown and the City Council by the Coalition to Save
Jamestown General Hospital, June 20; NYSUT draft copy, "Good Faith Negotiations: A Report
which Reviews PERB Case Law with Regard to the Definition and Process of Negotiating under the
Taylor Law"; health and safety training materials

Mid-Hudson Regional Office Correspondence (1 of 2)Letter to NYSUT president Hobart from Webutuck Teachers Association, complaining of poor
representation by field representative as chief negotiator for contract with school district;
drafts of response; comparison of Dutchess Health Insurance Consortium and Empire Plan; memo
re PERB impasse procedures; letter to field representative from NYCOSH asbestos program
coordinator, advising on the right of a custodian to request a positive-pressure air purifying
respirator; report, Red Hook School Asbestos Inspections A.H.E.R.A. 10/12/88; Excellence in
Teaching agreement negotiated between New Paltz United Teachers and New Paltz Central School
District; correspondence re grievance by Monticello teacher Joseph Leogrande, April -
October

NYC Regional Office CorrespondenceNewsletters, press release, and related materials re strike at New York University by United
Staff Association of NYU (clerical employees); agreement; letter from UFT president Sandra
Feldman to NYU president John Brademas; list of members of NYU Board of Trustees; memos re
providing additional staff for organizing

17

North Country CorrespondencePoem written by staff member implying overwork in OSHA training, "My Gosh: NICOSH!" and
cover memo to and from Jim Conti; memo re developmental kindergarten; memos re potential ADEA
case against local and school district in AuSable Valley re retirement benefit
compensation

17

Rochester Regional Office CorrespondenceNYS Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) decision and order in the matter of Joseph
Werner, charging party, and Middle County Teachers Association re agency shop fee; NYSUT
report, "The Effectiveness of Safety and Health Committees"; Rochester City School District
Career in Teaching Plan: Joint Statement of Intent and Agreement, May 11, 1988; PERB decision
and order re Rush-Henrietta smoking policy; materials re inspecting for asbestos and other
health hazards in buildings; materials re Monroe BOCES representation election; materials re
disputed Lyons school district Excellence in Teaching proposal; NEA analysis of Rochester and
NYC agreements, with cover letter to Tom Hobart and Jim Conti; counseling memo to an art
teacher in Pittsford Central School, with memo from Jim Conti directing legal staff to file an
Improper Practice charge; memos re Erie BOCES developing school board policies re AIDS testing
and other issues and selling them to districts around the state; critical memo from NEA/NY re
AFT settlements, sent to local NEA presidents and regional directors

17

Rochester Education Reform ProgramMemo to field staff re Rochester Education Reform Programs, reports, Guideline for
School-Based Planning, 1988-1989, City School District, Rochester, NY, presented to the Board
of Education, September 1, 1988; "A Region Prepared: A Response by Rochester Area Educators to
the Center for Educational Development and the Rochester Urban League Report: A Call to
Action," November 1987; "RCSD Mentor Program Evaluations: The Policy Implications," January
1988, for presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association of Colleges for
Teachers Education, February 1988; Rochester City School District Career in Teaching Plan:
Joint Statement of Intent and Agreement, May 11, 1988

Suffolk Regional Office: CorrespondenceMemos re analysis of proposed health insurance plan at Suffolk County Community College;
details of Bay Shore settlement; Excellence in Teaching agreement between Connetquot Teachers
Association and Connetquot Public School District; water sample test results for A. T. Morrow
School in Central Islip, showing lead levels exceeding EPA Maximum Contaminant Level at
several locations; Health and Safety Needs Assessment, Shoreham-Wading River School District,
conducted by New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), funded by a grant
to NYSUT from the NYS Department of Labor Hazard Abatement Board; correspondence re argument
over field trip at Islip public schools involving five fifth-grade teachers, a school board
member, the superintendent of schools, and the NYSUT legal office and field representative;
correspondence re Central Islip Teachers Association complaint re OSHA Hazard Communication
Standard under Right to Know law; correspondence from NYCOSH and others re Sayville Junior
High School science lab ventilation problem, simple recommendations for remediation; memo from
Jim Conti to Lindenhurst teachers association re legal definition of "absence"; related case
law re attendance policy; memo from NYSUT Regional Staff Director John DeGregorio re proposal
for Suffolk County Task Force on Education and the Economy; memo from DeGregorio advocating
for promotions for staff secretaries, noting he had held back on request based on policy
guidelines from NYSUT officials that had not been equitably applied; confidential memo re
recognition of North Babylon Teachers Organization; letter from president of Elwood
Secretarial Association to NYSUT field representative Sy Horowitz, expressing concern over
inequity between secretarial and custodial salaries, noting plans to undertake job evaluation
study; teacher salary schedule for each school, based on step level, degree, and years
experience

17

Syracuse Regional Office: CorrespondenceReport on Occupational Safety and Health Problems and Treatment in CNY School Districts, re
asbestos; newspaper clipping from Syracuse Post-Standard noting large percentage of firms
doing asbestos testing in schools failed state proficiency test and were decertified;
correspondence and newspaper clipping re deadlock in West Genesee School District
negotiations; memo to Jim Conti suggesting that each regional office hire on retainer an
industrial hygienist to assist with growing occupational health and safety issues; reply that
responsibility for healthy workplace is primarily the school district's, not the union's; memo
re proposed relocation sites for regional office; memos re starting salaries in Syracuse area,
need to be competitive with other bachelor's-degree fields; letters to state legislators
urging increases in unemployment insurance benefits, workers' compensation, and minimum wage;
Excellence in Teaching negotiations report, by district/local; organization and representation
status of school-related (non-teaching) personnel by district; activity report; confidential
memo re finding of overage by audit in 1986-87 fiscal year budget report

United University Professions: CorrespondenceMemorandum of Understanding between the State of New York and the United University
Professions, 1988-1991; tentative agreement between United University Professionals and the
State of New York, 1988-1991; summary of agreement; memo re potential organizing contact at
Cornell University; PERB legal briefs, Thomas C. Barry, charging party, and United University
Professions, respondent: Brief in Support of Exceptions to Findings of Fact and/or Conclusions
of Law on Behalf of Respondent United University Professions; Exceptions to Finds of Fact
and/or Conclusions of Law

17

Utica Regional Office: CorrespondenceMemo re impact of Commissioner's change in BOCES regions for distribution of Excellence in
Teaching (EIT) money; arbitration opinion and award in Rome City School District and Rome
Teachers Association (roofing grievance); confidential memo re finding of overage by audit in
1986-87 fiscal year budget report

18

Albany Legal CorrespondenceMemos re repeated violations by South Colonie Central School District of contract clause re
preparation time, tense relationship of NYSUT with local; legal memorandum re recall from
preferred eligibility list at Shenendehowa school district; request for legal assistance for
Averill Park teacher Thelma Tomlinson in 3020a (conduct unbecoming of a teacher) hearing, with
attached details of charges, including physical and mental abuse, January 13; requests for
similar cases in other districts; request for legal assistance for Gloversville teacher over
certification issue that lead to her being barred from teaching; request for legal opinion on
agency fee question for Hudson Falls Teachers Association; legal memos re status of driver's
education instructor and art teacher in Warren-Washington-Hamilton-Essex BOCES; request for
enforcement assistance in arbitration award re marital status discrimination case in Greater
Johnstown City School District; notice of appeal of decision by Unemployment Insurance Appeal
Board, in state Supreme Court Appellate Division for teacher Eleanor F. Moore, Shenendehowa
Central School and Schenectady City School District, related correspondence; request for legal
assistance in representing the Rensselaer-Columbia-Greene BOCES Teachers Association in Human
Rights Division complaint re use of sick leave for pregnancy disability; memos re Freedom of
Information request denial in Rensselaer City School District; request from Shenendehowa
Teachers Association for interpretation from NYSUT legal division re school district's ability
to increase class size under contingency budget; legal memoranda re tenure status of member of
Schenectady Federation of Teachers; request for appeal in "egregious" harassment case in North
Colonie in which a tenured teacher was pressured to retire

18

Elmsford Legal CorrespondenceRequest for help in expediting request to state Civil Service Commission in continuing the
employment of a 70-year-old food service worker in New Rochelle despite mandatory retirement
rule; request for legal help for a long-term teacher at Spring Valley Senior High School
(member of East Ramapo United Teachers Association), whose ongoing illnesses and lack of
access to the sick bank resulted in loss of income, seniority, and retirement credit; petition
to the Commissioner in the matter of appeal of Irene Alves, petitioner, from the actions of
the Board of Education of the Greenburgh Central School District Number 7 and Judith
Pennyfeather, respondents, re tenure dispute; materials on 3020a (conduct unbecoming of a
teacher) cases; Improper Practice Charges

18

Elmsford/Peekskill Legal CorrespondenceMaterial re lawsuit by attorney for Peekskill City School District against NYSUT for
defamation; PERB decisions

Nassau Legal CorrespondenceMemos re efforts by Long Beach City School District, with the support of the local, to rid
itself of having to maintain a public library because it was too big a drain on the city's
limited taxing authority; determination by state Department of Labor that teacher in Baldwin
Central School District was discriminated against in retaliation for asserting rights under
Right to Know law, referral of matter to Attorney General; letter requesting legal assistance
from union for retirees of Elmont School District, whose terms of health insurance premium
payments were being changed; correspondence re dispute between teacher with epilepsy and
Uniondale Public Schools/Union Free School District; request for legal assistance in
harassment case against Hempstead teacher alleging anti-semitism and racism; timeline, memo,
and related documents re part-time teacher seeking full-time status; memo re past president of
Uniondale Teachers Association, accused of embezzling union funds, who sent out an appeal for
his defense fund to teachers he was supervising, question of legality of solicitation; tenure
question in Oyster Bay; memos re termination of a probationary physics teacher for academic
weakness; memos by Uniondale school administrators re probationary teacher who was dismissed,
indicating that satisfactory performance evaluations would need to be revised to support
dismissal; memo re East Meadow tenured teacher who was ordered to take a psychological test or
face insubordination (3020a) charges; memo re Manhasset contract, changing unlimited paid sick
leave provision to unlimited paid sick leave only for short-term illnesses (less than 180
days), question of guaranteed employment after recovery from long-term illness; PERB ruling on
certification or decertification at Nassau Community College; memos re other individual
grievances

18

North Country Legal CorrespondenceLetter from attorney re question of tenure at Westport Central School; requests for
arbitration of grievances at St. Regis Falls; memos re "temporary" physical education position
at Indian River, question of subterfuge to avoid creating probationary job; memo re improper
practice charge at Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES re teacher credits; memo re political problem
at Indian River involving influential elementary school teacher adversely affected by change
in schedule, communication to school board outside the negotiating process; request for
assistance for custodian dismissed for stealing a gym bag at Beekmantown Central School
despite hung jury in criminal trial; material re denial of tenure for teacher Katherine
Duesberg at Saranac Central School District, including arbitration award; memo requesting
legal review of revised rules for field trips and chaperones at Malone school district

18

NYC Legal CorrespondenceRequest for legal opinion on back pay for teacher at east Meadow High School; memos re
litigation over dual family coverage prohibition in statewide health insurance plan; request
by special education teacher alleging harassment by Bronx Regional Administrators because of
short stature

Suffolk Legal CorrespondenceMemo re meeting with teacher from West Babylon in dispute with district over absences
related to an on-the-job accident, eligibility for sick leave, Worker's Compensation, threat
of dismissal; memo re retirement incentive at Elwood school district; memo re attempt by
Elwood school district to discontinue contract clause for retired teachers because of
unwillingness of health insurance carrier to continue to cover the plan without addition of
expensive dental insurance; memo re decision by insurance carrier to drop Elwood retirees
altogether; memo re meeting with teacher at Bayport/Blue Point, under observation for poor
classroom performance; memo re tenure and seniority issues at Brentwood school district,
including hybrid subject-area assignments; memo re teacher injured in assault by parent at
Sayville school district, declared permanently disabled, pressure by school district to apply
for disability retirement; request for legal representation by Elwood teacher claiming sex
discrimination because the district did not rehire her; memo re challenge to termination of
non-tenured teacher at North Babylon; memos re seniority cases; list of teachers adversely
affected by dual family health coverage prohibition, bringing class-action lawsuit; Improper
Practice Charges

18

Syracuse Legal CorrespondenceMemos re 3020a charges; memos re hiring of an uncertified person with a temporary coaching
license, instead of a physical education teacher and freshman basketball coach who applied for
the position, as a varsity basketball coach at Auburn Enlarged City School District; memos re
case against Liverpool Central School District re creation of middle school tenure area,
excessing of teacher due to declining enrollment; Freedom of Information Law request to
Onondaga Community College re negotiator's contract; memos re investigation of assignment of
teacher at Hamilton Central School District, poor performance review; memo re effort to
reinstate Onondaga-Madison BOCES custodian, forced to resign for stealing soda; memo re
assignment history of teacher seeking tenure at Port Byron Central School District; question
of whether use of teacher aides is legal for study hall supervision, "outbreak" of practice in
Madison County; request for legal review of use of teaching assistants to substitute for
teachers at Onondaga-Madison BOCES; full-time appointment of adult education teachers at same,
without probationary status, contractual benefits, or Social Security payments; Improper
Practice Charges

18

Utica Legal CorrespondenceRequest for legal assistance for special education teacher at Herkimer BOCES re tenure;
letter from Mohawk Valley Community College Professional Association president to NYSUT
president Tom Hobart, expressing dissatisfaction with NYSUT general counsel Bernard Ashe for
declining to take appeal of case; memo re appeal to Commissioner re abolition of full-time
dental hygienist positions in Utica City School District; state Supreme Court order denying
grievance by music teacher against (Herkimer) Poland Central School District over part-time
status, shift assignments; 3020a case in Richfield Springs; case of unsuccessful 3020a charges
in Oriskany School District, reassignment of teacher to study hall from physical education
"for safety of students," according to district, question of whether assignment was in effect
disciplinary; request by the Mohawk Valley Community College Professional Association for
legal assistance in pursuing Freedom of Information request re school district's finances for
1981-83; material re teacher at Auburn High School who swore at former school board president,
was reprimanded, then sued school board members and superintendent; memo re improper denial of
tenure in Oriskany Falls district; material re promotion dispute at Herkimer County Community
College; Improper Practice charges

Albany Legal Correspondence: Greenwich (Traver and McClay)Correspondence re litigation against the Greenwich Central School District to affirm credit
for years of service of two teachers

18

Elmsford Legal CorrespondenceLetter to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from music teacher at Tappan Zee High School re
grievance over removal from position as band director, related correspondence; memo re
dismissed EEOC charges against NYSUT by teacher in Spring Valley; request for legal help from
a long-term teacher at Spring Valley Senior High School (member of East Ramapo United Teachers
Association), re lack of access to the sick bank, previous illnesses, with memo from Jim Conti
advising against providing assistance; memos re Port Jervis strike; memo re Blind Brook
teacher planning to return to work following surgery, using artificial voice box, possible
issues with superintendent

Nassau Legal CorrespondenceMemos for cases re NYS retirement incentive program; maternity leave and tenure; concern by
unmarried school monitor over possible dismissal by Port Washington school district upon
discovery of her pregnancy, NYSUT intention to defend in a human rights proceeding; request
for legal opinion re tenure of health teacher at Oyster Bay-East Norwich; question re legality
of public school teachers providing services to parochial schools; memos re rights under Fair
Dismissal Law of probationary teachers terminated early at East Rockaway and Rockville Centre
school districts; memo re teacher accused of using corporal punishment, Garden City school
district; memo re possible marital discrimination case of football assistant coaches who had
applied for head coach position and believed they were turned down because they were married;
memo re contract language re sick leave at Manhasset school district; question re deferred
sabbatical leave at Port Washington; memo re complaint by teacher at Baldwin school district
re violation of first and fourteenth amendment rights after accusing district of violations of
Toxic Substances Control Act; memo re teacher who pled guilty to grand larceny for mismanaging
funds for summer program at Locust Valley, potential 3020a charge

18

North Country: Legal CorrespondenceRequest for legal opinion re rights of art teacher at Jefferson-Lewis BOCES; memos re
teacher at Salmon River school district re free speech issue; materials re apparent illegality
of retirement plan at Malone school district; memos re Parishville bus driver; memos re tenure
for probationary teacher with poor initial performance evaluations, St. Regis Falls school
district, question of harassment for involvement in strike; legal briefs re Westport school
district requirement for medical report in sick leave absences, agreement between district and
teachers association; grievance and related materials re pay issue in St. Regis school
district

Southern Tier LegalMemorandum re incidental teaching of health education by teachers not certified in health,
with attached NY Supreme Court ruling on the matter; materials re rights of teachers leaving
employment for service in the military, re-employment rights; 3020a cases; memo re
reassignment of math teacher to different school; seniority/tenure rights issue in Elmira,
with attached lists of staffing changes; memo re liability for $100 shortfall by tax collector
for Elmira City School District; 3020a charge against teacher in Bath Central School District,
for insubordination (taking unpaid leave to extend ski vacation); review of legality of
Workers' Compensation provision of contract between Spencer-Van Etten Teachers Association and
school district; PERB brief in the matter of Newark Valley Cardinal Bus Drivers, NYSUT Local
4360, charging party, and Newark Valley Central School District, respondent, Exception to
Administrative Law Judge's Decision and Recommended Order on Behalf of Newark Valley Cardinal
Bus Drivers, re health insurance coverage

20

Suffolk LegalMaterial re arbitration in termination case by William Floyd United Teachers re Nancy
Barton; memo and earlier correspondence outlining areas of concern to be discussed at meeting
with NYSUT legal counsel by teachers from Elwood school district re forcing teacher to change
a grade to zero for student cheating on test, also questions of seniority and the excess list;
memo re EEOC complaint against United Teachers of Harborfields re age discrimination in
negotiated retirement incentive; notice of claim and related memo re seniority list, recall
rights at Kings Park school district; letter from field representative to legal staff re
Lindenhurst teacher in dispute over reimbursing shortfall of $117 to Honor Society because of
poor fundraising said to be his fault, previous record in personnel file of minor non-teaching
infractions; correspondence between Westhampton Beach Secretaries Association, the
Superintendent of Schools, and NYSUT field representative re ability and liability of
secretaries to care for sick children in absence of school nurses, written policy on
administration of medications; affidavit in NY Supreme Court in support of order to show cause
on motion for preliminary injunction with temporary restraining order in the matter of Port
Jefferson Station Teachers Association v. Board of Education, Brookhaven-Comsewogue Union Free
School District, re unilaterally altering collective bargaining agreement re terms and
conditions of employment; memo re Kings Park teacher denied disability retirement; memos re
complex seniority issue at Huntington re tenure-area appointments; 3020a case at BOCES
II-Suffolk involving 38 charges of incompetency and related problems; 3020a cases in East
Islip and West Babylon re absenteeism; letter to Patchogue-Medford Congress of Teachers
president re drug testing; material re Smithtown arbitration between BOCES 3 Faculty
Association and BOCES 3, denying grievance re preferred eligibility list, three excessed
teachers; correspondence re longstanding lawsuit over retirement credit in Amityville, request
for help in expediting resolution; memo re seniority, question of whether special appointments
count toward accrual, with attached case law citations (Bayport/Blue Point Teachers
Association); materials re 3020a case (inappropriate remarks and physical contact), including
handwritten answers by teacher, Bay Shore school district; memo re Selden Junior High School
teacher believed to be suicidal, confronted by team of psychologists for two hours in
principal's office, forcibly detained and escorted by police for involuntary admission to
hospital, then told not to return to teaching until he arranged ongoing treatment, question of
violation of rights; extensive materials re arbitration award re terminal leave pay, North
Babylon Teachers Organization, including timeline of events, memos re political and personal
issues with arbitrator, October 1984-February 1985; memo re case involving challenge to
policy, upheld by U.S. Supreme Court decisions, allowing school districts to compel teachers
to display Christmas trees in their classrooms, plans for involvement by American Civil
Liberties Union, January 7

20

Syracuse LegalMemo re grievance over lost accumulated sick time after recall from preferred eligibility
list at Cheektowaga district; memo re inability to file a notice of claim of injury for
exposure to asbestos, absent actual disease, within statutory timeframe (Auburn High School);
memos re employee liability in student transport in teachers' personal vehicles (Oneida),
possible improper practice charge if transportation is required by district, need for
insurance reimbursement; question of whether certain data processing employees can be
considered exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (Onondaga
BOCES); memo from the Syracuse Teachers Association with list of "do's and don'ts" for
teachers accused of sexual misconduct, developed in consultation with law firm Blitman and
King, in response to increase in number of sex abuse charges against teachers; letter from
teacher at North Syracuse Teacher's Association re calculation of seniority for teachers who
hold administrative positions for a time; memos re possible settlement of 3020a case against a
teacher in the Liverpool Central School District; memos re Civil Service job classification in
Oneida Central School District; chronology of events re charge of unfair representation issued
against the Oswego County BOCES Supportive Association and NYSUT; Improper Practice
Charges

Western Legal3020a case involving teacher who wore a pro-union tee-shirt to school and refused to take it
off (misconduct and insubordination), also charged with inappropriate language in directing
two students to cease a public display of affection (North Tonawanda Senior High); memo re
payroll problems at Richford School District, including legal opinion that district was in
violation of Education Law for contracting with banks that were not disbursing monies
according to the wishes of the teachers; legal opinion that Niagara Falls school district
could legally require physical examinations of its employees, but should pay for them; memo re
teacher at Orchard Park, being required to teach outside his tenure area; material re
dismissal in complex 3020a case at Hamburg High School, involving past sexual harassment
charges against former principal; memos re retirement agreement in lieu of 3020a charges,
attempt by Hamburg teacher to apply for retirement incentive plan; memo re Hamburg teacher
removed from the preferred eligibility list after refusing an assignment because of pregnancy;
memos re layoff of teacher at West Seneca, question of seniority rights; material re letter of
admonishment to tenured Ellicottville teacher for taking military leave after being called up
to active duty; 3020a case involving cocaine use, dismissal (Depew school district); 3020a
case involving unprofessional behavior (outbursts of anger), Frewsburg district; PERB decision
in Hamburg district re alleged violation of Taylor Law by refusing to continue employment of
substitute teachers, memo from NYSUT attorney alleging subterfuge to prevent organizing;
materials re 3020a charge against East Aurora teacher (immoral character; inappropriate
physical contact); memos re 3020a charge against Batavia teachers (striking a student); memo
discussing letter of reprimand against Cassadaga Valley teacher for not following procedural
rules for corporal punishment, chance that challenge would result in 3020a charges and
dismissal; memo re class load for teacher at West Seneca district; memo re teacher at North
Tonawanda who wanted to come back from disability retirement, told it constituted resignation;
miscellaneous 3020a cases; extensive materials re unemployment insurance decision appeal of
regular substitute teacher Beth Abbott in Springville district

21

Public Employees Federation (1 of 8)Legal brief (with handwritten note, "case re Kramer") on behalf of respondent-appellant in
Court of Appeals, CSEA v. Harold Newman et al., comprising the Public Employment Relations
Board of the State of New York, the Public Employees Federation, AFL-CIO, James Northrup, as
Acting Director of the Governor's Office of Employee Relations of the State of New York,
Arthur Levitt, as Comptroller of the State of New York; legal brief (with NYSUT cover memo),
on behalf of respondent-appellant-cross-respondent Public Employees Federation, AFL-CIO;
handwritten note, "11/30/80 convicted mail fraud," noting 2-year sentence, other charges, "(1)
defrauded state employee union, (2) rigged election, (3) channeled $ for election into slush
fund & used money for own use"; long handwritten note titled, "Proposal," re Public
Employee Federation's desire to resolve the John Kramer arbitration; Court of Appeals decision
reversing Appellate Division decision, with NYSUT cover memo, March 27, 1979

21

Public Employees Federation (2 of 8)Folder list of 24 items, including handwritten notes re dues promotion meetings,
confidential PEF projected 1981-82 annual budget, NYSUT budget 1981-82; PEF memo re estimated
expenditures, May 24, 1982; PEF 1982-83 Annual Budget with summaries of expenditures for each
regional office; PEF memo re implementation of dues increase; sheet calculating increase in
dues for years 1-3; narrative, "PEF Efforts to Avoid Layoffs"; annual PEF report reviewing
professional legal services rendered by firm Cunningham & Sweeney on behalf of PEF,
August 5, 1982; agreement by and between New York State Public Employees Federation, AFL-CIO
(PEF), the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO (AFT), and the Service Employees
International Union, AFL-CIO and CLC (SEIU), September 25, 1979; minutes of PEF special
Executive Board meeting, September 23, 1982; tentative agenda for PEF Executive Board meeting
to be held October 10, 1982; memo to Jim Conti from NYSUT general counsel James Sandner,
"Report on Status of PEF Cases Handled by NYSUT-OGC/NYC," October 4, 1982; memo to PRO MEMBER
(Professionals for Membership Representation and Service) Executive Board Members re special
Executive Board meeting, November 24, 1982; memo to PEF officers from PEF Budget Advisory
Committee (BAC) re proposed dues increase for 1982 convention, October 5, 1982; minutes of PEF
Legal Committee meeting, October 7., 1982; letter to delegates from PEF Secretary-Treasurer
James J. Sheedy outlining reasons for pro posed dues increase; Division Report; PEF 4th Annual
Convention Program, October 11-13, 1982; Memorandum of Understanding between the State of New
York and the Public Employees Federation, AFL-CIO (PEF); PEF Agency Totals (total employees
and total members, by agency); Negotiating Unit Profile II as of 11/81; UUP Projected Income
from Dues, January 1979; list of NYSUT Public School Locals with Dues at least $100

21

Public Employees Federation (3 of 8)PEF monthly report, November 1, 1982; list of grievances; November staff report to Jim Conti
from Joint Labor-Management Committee on Professional Development and Quality of Working Life
(PEF/PDQ), November 1, 1982; other monthly reports; folder list of 14 items, including letter
from PEF president to Deputy Labor Commissioner Virgil Hodges, strongly objecting to
"hard-sell" pressure, discovered and publicized in press, on members to purchase tickets to
testimonial dinner for Commissioner, August 24, 1982; typed note, apparently by field staffer,
objecting to required monthly reports by regional coordinators; Reaffirmation of Affirmative
Action Policy, by PEF president; Statement on PEF Women's Program, including purpose and
goals, by PEF president; memo to PEF Executive Board members from trustee Stan Byer,
commenting on trustee's meeting of June 25, 1982 ("first term report"); handwritten notes by
Jim Conti re PEF Officers' meeting, December 13, 1982; PEF financial statements as of July 31,
1982, and auditor's report; confidential material to Jim Conti from Jan Conti re ongoing
problems at Buffalo office, apparent effort by regional coordinator to sabotage service in
collusion with secretary, October 14, 1982; draft procedure for selection of impartial
chairperson for Joint Committee on Health Benefits; memo re layoff procedure, January 19,
1982; statement for press re PEF arbitration proceedings, December 28, 1982; outline of hiring
policies; handwritten notes by Jim Conti re status of finances and other issues

21

Public Employees Federation (4 of 8)Folder list of 13 items, including memo to Jim Conti re unit-wide
reclassification/reallocation study; series of handbooks, "PEF Steward Training," including
"Image Building for the Steward," with cover memo from Jim Conti, September 20, 1982;
booklets, "Steward's Manual," "Information for Employees Separated from State Employment,"
"Information for Temporary and Provisional Employees Separated from State Service by a
Reduction in Force," and "Quality of Work Life"; minutes of Special Executive Board meeting,
December 14, 1982, and proposed agenda for January 28-29, 1983, meeting; proposed agenda for
special Executive Board meeting on December 14, 1982; edited lists of roles of president and
other officers ("think like God," "loyalty to president," "make president look good," "eyes
and ears of president"); lists of Executive Board officers, trustees, and regional
coordinators, including addresses and other contact information; memo to Jim Conti complaining
of poor information flow from his office, September 21, 1982; handwritten notes re salary,
possible inaccuracy of weekly activity reports, grievances not being processed, phones not
being answered, other problems with office; typed narrative re understaffing, from perspective
of office secretary; administrative, decision making, and communications organizational
charts; handwritten Election Committee report; description of Ray Abernathy, Inc., Public
Relations

21

Public Employees Federation (5 of 8)Folder list of 21 items, including 1983-84 PEF budget; handwritten notes by Jim Conti re
meeting with caucus leaders of March 30, 1983, re AFT-PEF agreement; list of services to PEF
from NYSUT; memo from Layoff Task Force to PEF officers and staff re recommendations for
regional activities; agenda for Officers' and Staff Meeting on Layoffs, February 10, 1983; PEF
Executive Board minutes, January 28-29, 1983; materials for PEF/OMH Conference on Labor
Relations (list of participants, workshop assignments, closing remarks by Jim Conti);
newspaper clippings from Knickerbocker News, re court hearing on union fund, memo re layoff
kit for stewards; January 11, 1983; layoff packet; handwritten notes by Jim Conti re officers'
meeting, January 20, 1983; memo to Jim Conti re field representative position interviews;
handwritten notes by Jim Conti re each candidate; memo to PEF president re agreement with
NYSUT to stretch out per capita payment schedule, January 6, 1983; Personnel Reduction and
Redeployment Plan: Status Report, (from?) Director of the Budget, Director of the Civil
Service Commission, Director of Employee Relations, and Director of State Operations, March
27, 1983; memo to all participating agencies from NYS Department of Civil Service Employee
Insurance Section re differences between health insurance Statewide Plan and GHI New 1983
Option; memo re impact of layoff on leave accruals; staffing ratio chart by region (number of
dues-paying members to number of field representatives); letter from PEF president to Gov.
Mario Cuomo analyzing combined impact of normal separation rates and early retirement
incentive, March 21, 1983; letter from PEF president to Gov. Cuomo proposing alternative to
termination of employees (with document "Family, Partnership and Balance: A State Budget
without Layoffs"), March 15, 1983; Memorandum of Understanding between the State of New York
and the Public Employees Federation re modification of health insurance coverage, November 18,
1982; list of PEF agency totals (employees/ members); pamphlet, "The Law Is on Your Side" re
right to join union, by Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

21

Public Employees Federation (6 of 8)Folder list of 19 items, including memo re legislative services affecting PEF; memo from Jim
Conti to attorney, listing items sent re state investigation commission (not included); PEF
agency totals as of 3/24/83; Certificate of Incorporation of the Association for Union
Democracy, Inc.; by-laws; newsletter, Union Democracy Review; draft agreement between AFT and
PEF local 4053 re financial assistance to PEF, May 11, 1982, with cover letter from
Secretary-Treasurer of AFT to president of PEF; agreement between PEF, AFT, and SEIU, with
cover letter, October 3, 1979; list of PEF Executive Board officers and regional coordinators;
booklet, PEF constitution and bylaws as amended by the 1980 convention; confidential NYSUT
memo re legal dispute with PEF, request from departments for specific list of services
rendered to PEF, June 14, 1983; handwritten notes by Jim Conti re dues established, memo of
law; letter from PEF president to PS&T employees re challenge to affiliation agreement
with AFT and SEIU, June 9, 1983; plaintiff's memorandum of law in Supreme Court of the State
of New York, PEF vs Albert Shanker as president of AFT and NYSUT, NYSUT, and SEIU; order to
show cause

21

Public Employees Federation (7 of 8)Notes from PEF Management Staff meeting, October 25, 1982; handwritten notes by Jim Conti;
memo re new directions for the Department of Research and Professional Development, September
17, 1982; employment agreement between PEF, SEIU, and Robert A. Payne to become Executive
Director of PEF, February 7, 1980; memo re unit-wide job title and position allocation survey,
September 7, 1982; affiliation agreement and related correspondence; folder list of 19 items,
including task objectives for president, PEF field reps, director of staff, documentation of
responsibilities for assistant staff director; monthly reports; hand-drawn organizational
chart; list of Executive Board and Trustees; PEF memos re important court decisions; memo
announcing PEF certified by PERB, September 28, 1978; memo to PEF leadership re withdrawal by
CSEA of Improper Practice Charge against State of NY, May 17, 1978; handwritten notes by Jim
Conti re 6-week campaign, January 26, 1978; folder list of 16 items, including Constitution
and Bylaws Committee Report; July research report; July monthly report; steward update; annual
report, August 2, 1982; PEF Executive Board agenda for meeting of August 8-9, 1982;
legislative voting record on bills of interest to PEF, August 1982; folder list of 31 items,
including outline of responsibilities of Divisions Department; PEF policy on local labor
councils, presented as resolution; budget narrative, Legislative Department, January 20, 1983;
activities report of the Safety and Health Committee, January 27, 1983; Budget Advisory
Committee Procedural Recommendations; Budget Advisory Committee Recommendations; memo re OMRDD
layoffs, January 24, 1983; letter to Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol (chair, Committee on
Government Employees) from PEF president Elizabeth Hoke, January 11, 1983; memo to PEF
Executive Board re statewide Employee Assistance Program; suggestions to Executive Board from
Convention Delegate Apportionment Committee; draft financial statements; layoff information
sheet, asking for impact of potential layoff on individuals members; status reports re
performance advances; memo to PEF Executive Board from Committee on Ethics and Responsibility,
Report on Recommendations, January 28, 1983; PEF press release opposing calls for
renegotiation of contracts of public employee unions to solve state's budget problems, January
26, 1983; recommendations to Executive Board from Division Committee, January 19, 1983; letter
to the editor of Times-Union by Elizabeth Hoke, president of PEF, taking issue with Gov.
Cuomo's estimate that employee salaries account for 60% of total state budget, January 18,
1983; memorandum of interpretation between State of New York and Public Employees Federation
re Seasonal Employees; Amendment to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Public
Employees Federation Group Benefits Program; newspaper clippings; folder list of 11 items,
including American Arbitration Association Certification of Results of PEF election, July 7,
1982; affidavit in opposition in the latter of the application of Service Employees
International Union, AFL-CIO, petitioners, for an order staying arbitration attempted to be
had by Robert Payne, respondent; letter to PEF president Elizabeth Hoke from attorney Robert
Proskin re PEF retainer for services, July 28, 1982; sheets listing roles of regional
coordinators, vice president, etc.; political and policy making organizational chart,
12/13/82; memo to Jim Conti re Kraemer arbitration award, August 4, 1982; office memos with
lease and rental agreement; handwritten notes by Jim Conti re organization, 5/18/82; agreement
between State of New York and Civil Service Employees Association, Professional, Scientific
and Technical Services Unit, 1977-79; PEF Constitution and Bylaws as amended by 1980
Convention; tentative agreement, rough draft for members; information re early retirement
incentive program

21

Public Employees Federation (8 of 8)Folder list of 15 items, including Public Employees in Court, a synopsis of cases dealing
with public employees' rights under various laws; copy of PERB secret-ballot for affiliation
with CSEA, PEF, or neither; letter of resignation to president of CSEA from Jack Weisz,
president of CSEA New York Parole District Chapter, endorsing PEF as better serving interests
of public employees, March 15, 1978; list of Buffalo Steering Committee members; clippings
from Civil Service Leader; list of target areas; PEF job group breakout by title, showing
number of individuals; PERB Notice of Election to determine representative for collective
negotiations; memo from PEF Director of Organization re closure of municipal offices because
of snowstorm, criticizing requirement for employees to use personal leave or leave without
pay, calling on governor to rescind the policy; PEF telephone bank and code sheets; memo re
revisions to Employee Relations Manual re elections, May 19, 1975

21

Public Employees Federation: Executive Board MinutesIncomplete set of minutes with cover letter to Jim Conti, noting existence of untranscribed
tapes, need to find reference to Robert Payne, Regional Director of SEIU, December 22, 1982;
verbatim transcript of October 10, 1982, meeting

Public Employees Federation: To Jim ContiCertificate of Appreciation by the National Education Association to Jim Conti for service
as member of Local Association Evaluation Team, with cover letter, July 24, 1974; newsletters
WTA Point, 1974; PEF memo re status of day care sites, December 10, 1982; New York Times
editorial "Mental Health Is Not a Jobs Program," with response by PEF president Hoke, December
13, 1982; other newspaper clippings; PEF Legislative Memorandum in opposition to impasse
resolution procedures in Civil Service law, December 7, 1982; legislative memo in opposition
to involuntary furlough, December 13, 1982; memo to PEF Executive Board from President Hoke re
communicating with the media, instructing that official statements be cleared with her office,
December 13, 1982; notice of special Executive Board meeting for December 14, 1982; minutes of
special Executive Board meeting of September 23, 1982; draft report, "Public Service Training
for Managers, Supervisors, and Professionals for the Professional, Scientific and Technical
Bargaining Unit," printed on behalf of the State University of New York by the State
University of New York at Albany, September 15, 1982; trustees' reports re budget and other
matters; outline of state employee workshop; brochure re the Clients' Security Fund, a
state-administered program to reimburse victims of attorney fraud; PEF bound 1982 Resolutions;
overview report for delegates, "PEF: Professionalism in New York," October 1982

21

Public Employees Federation: To Tom Hobart (Confidential)Opinion survey by Marttila & Kiley, Inc, " A Study of Attitudes and Preferences
among Members of the Public Employees Federation," August 1, 1981; memos to John Kraemer and
others from Ray Abernathy, Inc. (advertising and public relations): "Kraemer-Cabell Reversal
Campaign" and "Recommendations for Re-election Program," September 1981; August/September 1981
issue of PEF Communicator, announcing victory of Elizabeth Hoke over John Kraemer as new
president of PEF

21

Public Employees Federation: Toxic Substances Act-Right to Know
LawDocument, New York Toxic Substances Act Outline of Procedures, Duties and Rights; full text
of act; subchapter H, Environmental Health and Toxic Substances Part 72, Registration of Trade
Secrets; document, Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology: A Short History; materials re Right to
Know Law, requiring employers to tell workers about the health effects of any toxic substances
in their workplace; handwritten memo re Department of Labor hearing

22

Coordinator's MemosBrochure, "Going, Going, Gone? A Report on the Teacher Shortage in America," by American
Federation of Teachers, with cover memo to coordinators, November 7, 1985; memo from
Commissioner of state Department of Motor Vehicles re new legislation requiring fingerprinting
and criminal background checks for all school bus drivers; revised Commissioner's Regulations
for bus drivers implementing new legislation, sent to all bus companies; memo re compromise
reached in compensation for overtime for public employees under Fair Labor Standards Act
(FLSA); memos re Empire Health Insurance Plan; New York Times clipping re arbitration
agreement giving higher starting salaries for new teachers and raises for the most
experienced; PERB decision on the duty of fair representation in CSEA case, with cover memo
noting need for field representatives to be aware of how to process an arbitration case,
September 16, 1985; Daily Labor Report article re ruling that libelous comments made during
grievance procedures are immune from lawsuits for damages; memo re Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES
interpretation of FLSA; memo re special seminar to be held in preparation for regional
conferences by Board of Regents, "Strengthening Teaching in New York State"; AFL-CIO article,
"Japanese Management: Myth or Magic," with cover memo from Jim Conti to coordinators, August
13, 1985; memo from NEA-NY re health insurance for retirees (Abenanty lawsuit), May 20, 1985,
with attached letter re disaffiliation, June 10; "Winning Practical, Fair and Effective Health
Care Cost Containment," A Handbook for AFT Negotiators and Local Leaders or State Employee
Negotiators, produced by the Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals AFT, AFL-CIO, or
Federation of State Employees AFT, AFL-CIO, with cover letter from Jim Conti to coordinators,
June 25, 1985; memo re proposed teacher load regulations, to be used in comments to Board of
Regents (member list attached); tentative PEF agreement re change to Empire Plan, June 13;
dismissal of age discrimination lawsuit by teachers in North Tonawanda School District in
retirement incentive case (Cipriano and Miller); report, "The Changing Situation of Workers
and Their Unions," by AFL-CIO Committee on the Evolution of Work, February 1985, with cover
letter from Jim Conti to coordinators recommending staff meeting to discuss, April 30, 1985;
newspaper clipping re teacher salary rankings by state, other statistics; memo re proposed
change in statewide health insurance plan, with attached Empire Plan overview, April 8, 1985;
memo advising opposition to tuition tax credit legislation (Marchi bill), March 29, 1985;
letter sent by NEA/NY to community colleges affiliated with NYSUT, with cover letter from Jim
Conti to coordinators, March 13, 1985; confidential memo from Jim Conti that grievance had
been filed over dress code, noting that one teacher was given a letter of reprimand for not
wearing a tie, urging compliance, March 1, 1985; memo re payroll deduction for political
action; discussion papers from NYSUT general counsel's office re Commissioner's Regulations,
Part 100, mandating Annual Professional Performance Reviews, and its impact on collective
bargaining, February 12 and 13, 1985; memo re insurance law amendments, requiring mental
health coverage for services provided by qualified social workers in addition to psychiatrists
and psychologists, February 6, 1985, with attached language of legislation; memo re NEA
efforts to organize at community colleges, November 15, 1984; memo re proper way to write an
improper practice charge, December 14, 1984

Buffalo Regional Office: CorrespondenceLetter from Ron Uba re urgent need for more office space in Western New York Regional
Office, July 23; letter re dress code for Western New York Summer Workshop, detailing specific
appropriate clothing requirements; memo re NEA organizing activities; list of Erie County
presidents, 1985-1986; minutes of Erie County Council of Teacher Union Presidents, September
24, 1985; letter from North Tonawanda Teachers Support Fund administrator to local presidents,
asking for contributions to assist teachers fined and facing possible jail time as a result of
the strike, May 31; related correspondence re strike; meeting notice and minutes of March 12,
1985, meeting of School Related Personnel Council of Western New York; request from Alfred-
Almond Teachers Association to change district representation from the Jamestown office to the
Elmira district, for geographical convenience, May 13; text of legislation to include 4201
(e.g., BOCES) employees in NYS Teachers' Retirement System, with memorandum in support and
cover memo from Jim Conti, May 29; confidential letter of reprimand from Ron Uba to field
representative for failure to notify locals of inability to attend negotiating sessions, May
14; other letters praising field representatives; confidential memo re local assessment of
NYSUT services, May 3; memo from Ron Uba to Jim Conti analyzing NYSUT's attempts to organize
retirees, noting disproportionate effort relative to results, February 28; memo re rights to
unemployment insurance by employees of religious institutions, March 21; memo re PERB case in
Hamburg Central School District; announcement of political action workshop

Mid: Hudson Regional Office-CorrespondenceBlue Shield of Northeastern New York, Inc., "State Plus Proposal Given to Rhinebeck Central
School"; booklet by Department of Civil Service, "Health Insurance for Your Dependents: The
New York State Government Employees Health Insurance Plan"; NYSUT regional office newsletters,
Mid-Hudson School Bell; memo to Jim Conti expressing concern raised by president of Red Hook
Faculty Association over process for selecting local leaders (in this case, an individual who
was no longer a member of the bargaining unit) for special training programs, need to consult
the regional coordinator, September 3; letter to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from the Hudson
Teachers' Association dinner chairman, inviting him to attend community service dinner, with
attached memo from Jim Conti re proper channel of communication; brief report on Mid-Hudson
Regional Conference, to Jan Conti, regional coordinator, from Jim Conti, August 28;
correspondence re welfare trust funds by various locals, and text of fund agreement for
Wappingers Federation of Transit-Custodial and Maintenance Workers; draft recommendation of
the Sub-Committee on Crisis Support/Management; correspondence re Mid-Hudson Leadership
Conference; tentative agenda; court decision in Dutchess County BOCES v. Newman et al.,
annulling PERB decision, Jun 11, 1985; PERB decision of administrative law judge in the matter
of County of Putnam, respondent, and Putnam County Unit, Local 840, Civil Service Employees
Association, Inc., AFSCME, AFL-CIO, charging party, re dress code, May 3, 1985; letter to
NYSUT president Tom Hobart from president of Wappingers Congress of Teachers, authorizing
school monitors in the district to form a secondary local, the Wappingers Federation of
Educational Assistants, March 28; correspondence with Monticello Teachers Association re
settlement of 1983 grievance arbitration for teacher denied access to sick bank, March April,
1985; correspondence between Jim Conti and director of organizing for CSEA re lack of interest
by CSEA in organizing Pine Plains Central School, March April; arbitration seminar description
and registration form; "A Report on the Plight of the Collective Bargaining System," January
1984, New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Labor; letter from Jim Conti to Vito
DeLeonardis re two cases in which NYSUT took action on behalf of locals or teachers against
its better judgment, under threat of disaffiliation or losing a representation election, need
to make decisions based on merits January 10; Dutchess United Educators Handbook, 1984-1985;
Retirement Handbook, September 1984; memo re dual health insurance enrollment at Wappingers
Falls, September 10, 1984; work schedule statistics of MHRO (Mid-Hudson Regional Office) field
representatives, total hours; local bargaining units added since opening of MHRO; support
rationale for addition of field rep in MHRO; correspondence with Jim Conti re disability
retirement case, Wechinsky v. New York Teachers' Retirement System, August November 1985;
correspondence from actuaries with Jim Conti re State Plus health insurance plan for Rhinebeck
Central School District, related memo from NYS Department of Civil Service

22

Nassau Regional Office: CorrespondenceMemo to Vito DeLeonardis from regional office coordinator re dissatisfaction over comparable
worth by secretaries at Wantagh (with attached letter) as indicative of larger problem,
potential for other unions such as NEA and Teamsters to fill the gap if non-teaching
school-related personnel feel NYSUT is not representing them well, October 25, 1985; appeals
before the Commissioner of Education re work load by teachers in the Guilderland Central
School District; memos to local presidents and coordinators re new Empire health insurance
plan, replacing G.H.I. and other statewide health insurance plans, October 9 and 25; status
report re pilot program for collecting membership data, initial resistance, analysis of how to
proceed, March 18; memos re retiree health insurance legislation; flyer for health and safety
conference for Nassau and Suffolk locals, with cover memo by sponsor, New York Committee for
Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), October 4; C. B. Bulletin, newsletters for Nassau
Regional Office, April, May, June, September, October, December 1985; Newsday newspaper
clipping re decertification filed by Nassau Community College Federation of Teachers,
representing full-time faculty members, against the Adjunct Faculty Association, with cover
memo from Jim Conti to Tom Hobart, September 30; longer memo from Conti to Hobart re Nassau
Community College situation, September 23; memo from Jim Conti re concerns about participating
in Long Island Health Care Coalition, Inc., August 27; bylaws and related correspondence; text
of legislation to include 4201 (e.g., BOCES) employees in NYS Teachers' Retirement System,
with memorandum in support and cover memo from Jim Conti, May 29; document by State Education
Department, "School District Reorganization: An Introduction," December 1984, with cover memo
by Jim Conti, May 21, 1985; correspondence re health and safety concerns at Nassau Community
College, January March 1985

22

New York City Regional Office: CorrespondenceFlyer and memo for conference on the electromagnetic hazards of VDTs (video display
terminals: computer monitors), October 5, 1984; text of legislation to include 4201 (e.g.,
BOCES) employees in NYS Teachers' Retirement System, with memorandum in support and cover memo
from Jim Conti, May 29; memos noting support by many labor organizations for state OSHA
legislation, with attached summary of bill, March 1985; inquiry from teacher who had been a
part-time substitute for years and then a full-time substitute for years but was never
informed of her right to join the teachers retirement system, related memos, September
1985

22

Potsdam Regional Office: CorrespondenceRequest for continued secretarial help after PEF operation moved from Potsdam office to
Plattsburgh office, September 4, 1985; list of negative comments from local presidents,
September 3, 1985; memos re retirement incentives, deferred compensation

22

Rochester Regional Office: CorrespondenceNotes on a Meeting with Assembly Minority Leader Dan Walsh and Superintendents and Board
Representatives from School Districts within the 130th Assembly District, by Gananda school
board member Ruben Cirillo, discussing school aid, teachers' salaries, other issues, with
cover memo to Jim Conti, November 11, 1985; PERB decision of administrative law judge in the
matter of Caledonia Central School District, respondent, and Caledonia-Mumford Teachers'
Association, charging party, re alleged violation of Public Employees' Fair Employment Act by
transferring elementary school teachers inconsistent with prior practice, July 1, 1985; memos
re Wayne County survey of teachers, July; NYSUT legal counsel's opinion of Cayuga- Onondaga
BOCES interpretation of Garcia case, re coverage of public employees by Fair Labor Standards
Act; memo from Jim Conti outlining his concept for a support system for strikes, September 24;
memo re Rochester Women's Network, asking NYSUT vice president Toni Cortese to speak at
meeting, September 11; memo from Jim Conti to NYSUT legal counsel James Sandner re
unemployment eligibility question for teacher in the Rochester City School District, August
21, with attached materials from Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board; materials re workshop,
"Bargaining for Improved Health Care"; correspondence re Hilton Central School Teachers'
Association question of 2510 (tenure) rights for teacher who voluntarily transferred, May;
memo re possible organizing Wayne Central school district, April 23; NYSUT legal counsel's
opinion of layoff/recall rights (bumping back into former unit when there is no vacancy,
forcing a layoff) in case of teacher at Webster Central School District, March-April; briefing
paper for meeting with (deputy commissioner) Don Nolan re teacher certification disputes, with
attached memo from Charles Santelli to Jim Conti, April; letter to NYSUT president Tom Hobart
from Phelps-Clifton Springs Faculty Association requesting legal help in resolving asbestos
problem, March 5, and related memos; memo recommending new NYSUT panel members for 3020a
hearings, noting increase in those hearings, February 13; confidential memo from Jim Conti to
Vito Leonardis re field representative staff assignments, January 8

22

Suffolk Regional Office: CorrespondenceMemo re growing dissatisfaction by non-teaching School-Related Personnel (SRPs) with NYSUT's
perceived lack of representation and focus on teachers, October 25; memo re new affiliate,
Islip Teacher Aides Association, November 14; memo re difficulties in obtaining a contract at
three locals, particularly BOCES 2, potential for strikes, November 4; letter from U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services to NYCOSH, asserting that higher-than-average
mortality rate from breast cancer among teachers at AFT local 1848 (Island Trees, Long Island)
was similar to that of a study conducted in Washington State, and could be explained by higher
rates among women meeting their demographic profile, concluding that an occupational study of
the group would not be warranted, July 26, 1985; letter from NYCOSH to National Cancer
Institute Environmental Epidemiology Branch, noting attached interim report indicating
higher-than-average cancer mortality rate among Island Trees (Long Island) teachers,
requesting study by NCI, May 14; announcement for negotiation workshop, November; letter to
Patchogue-Medford Congress of Teachers president from NYSUT general counsel re drug testing of
prospective employees, June 20; list of salary increases at various locals/school districts;
letter to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from Half Hollow Hills Paraprofessional Association,
complaining of lack of help in negotiating contract, short staffing at Suffolk office, low
value for high dues, with reply from Hobart, May-June; memo to Hobart from Jim Conti re Half
Hollow situation, June 19; memo from Jim Conti to regional office coordinator John DeGregorio
asking whether more staff service can be provided to the association, May 29; memo re
collective bargaining elections scheduled at Northport and St. John's, June 6; memo from Jim
Conti requesting estimate of how much it would cost for meals and housing to hold a conference
in New York City per day, May 3; related discussion re speakers, topics for discussion;
request to Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to provide a mediator in dispute between
Suffolk BOCES II and BOCES II Teachers Association, reply that mediator would not be provided,
March 11, 1985; PERB decision in BOCES case re reporting accumulated sick time, November 14,
1984; handwritten notes re meeting with Suffolk staff, June 20, 1985; "Report from the Bay
Shore Classroom Teachers Association Committee to Survey NYSUT/AFT Services," with cover
letter to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from president of association, noting dissatisfaction
with services, May 24; confidential memo to Tom Hobart from regional office coordinator John
DeGregorio re interpretation of issues, assertion that rank-and- file do not favor
disaffiliation, June 7; letter to Hobart from Bay Shore association president re computer
system problems, January 15; reply from Hobart to association president, April 15; survey of
Bay Shore teachers re satisfaction with services; complaint by president of Patchogue Medford
Congress of Teachers over advice by NYSUT legal staff re urine drug testing, failure to obtain
restraining order, June 10; correspondence with Jim Conti including letter from Mount Sinai
Medical Center Environmental Sciences Laboratory noting detection of asbestos and chlordane in
half the locations tested at Cold Spring Harbor Elementary School, advising contacting the
EPA, April 29; letter from NYCOSH re low asbestos air sampling results at Lindenhurst Junior
High School library, May 2; arbitration decision finding against a termination grievance
brought for teacher Nancy Barton, in the matter of William Floyd United Teachers and William
Floyd United Free School District of the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley, and extensive related
correspondence, March-April; letter to Jim Conti from NYS Department of Labor Division of
Safety and Health re environmental tests at Cold Spring Harbor Elementary School, noting
inconclusive, pending, or negative results for water contamination or asbestos, small
quantities of chlordane, April 8; related correspondence and full test reports; memo re OSHA
problem in district office involving fumes from office equipment, need for exhaust fan, March
20; memos between Jim Conti and regional office coordinator John DeGregorio re staff training,
March; memo from Jim Conti to Chuck Santelli re state health insurance rules, March 28; memos
re need to investigate possible OSHA violations at various school districts, February-March;
memo that Amityville Committee of Educational Secretaries had voted to affiliate with NYSUT,
February 22; memo from Jim Conti to Arbitration Committee with attached list of items that
should be on forms re arbitrators and arbitrations, February 25; legal opinion by NYSUT
general counsel James Sandner to North Babylon Teachers Organization president re arbitration
award by Phillip Russo in Globerman & Evario case, February 22; memos between Jim
Conti, Tom Hobart, and John DeGregorio re survey by Bay Shore Classroom Teachers Association
re satisfaction with NYSUT services, possible disaffiliation vote, strategy, January; letter
to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from Brentwood Teachers Association president complaining of
poor communication with NYSUT state headquarters in Albany re state insurance plan, with
reply, January; summary report of Regional Finance Study of Public Education, County of
Suffolk, New York, March 1983, by Regional Planning Board

22

Syracuse Regional Office: CorrespondenceLetters from regional coordinator Frank Squillace to locals engaged in contract
negotiations, notifying them that their field representative would be relieved by another
NYSUT staffer for those negotiations, November14; opinion by NYSUT general counsel re
Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Garcia interpretation of Fair Labor Standards Act; correspondence re
Teacher Compensation Conference; correspondence re takeover by BOCES of summer school offered
by Auburn High School, legality of lower pay offered to non-BOCES teachers under contract with
high school, May-June; correspondence re liability insurance being offered to Federation of
Nurses and Health Professionals by Albert H. Wohlers Insurance Company, May; letter with
question re seniority status of teachers who take administrative positions for a time, then
return to full-time teaching, April; memo re West Genesee Substitute Teachers' Association
application for affiliation with NYSUT, April 1; letter from Frank Squillace re successful
incorporation of adjunct personnel in full-time faculty bargaining unit at Onondaga Community
College; April 1; report to file by Jim Conti re meeting he had with Syracuse Regional Office,
March 25

22

Utica Regional Office: CorrespondenceReport, "School District Reorganization: An Introduction," State Education Department,
December 1984, with cover letter from Jim Conti, May 21, 1985, other memos requesting
information on school mergers, April; summary of notes from TV training program, May 16;
materials obtained re NEA legislative objectives, sent to NYSUT-affiliated community colleges,
March; request to Jim Conti for copy from the legal department of Commissioner's decision in
the Matter of Richardson, re letters of reprimand, and reason for NYSUT's not having received
it and potentially others, December 12, 1984

22

Vestal/Southern Tier Regional Office: CorrespondenceCourt of Appeals decision affirming dismissal of teachers' petition against Sewanhaka
Central High School district's reduction in health insurance contribution on behalf of
retirees, with cover memo, December 16; letter from job applicant for field rep position, June
6; copy of Public Employment Reporter, with cover memo to Jim Conti from regional coordinator
Charles Rogers suggesting possible subscription, October; decision of the Commissioner in
Marie Connor v. Board of Education, Massapequa Union Free School District, re appointment of
another individual to an administrative position, July 14; monthly report, June; NYSUT
Division of Field Service newsletter, Southern Tier Briefs, June; memos re Commissioner's
Regulations, Part 100.2(1), requiring school districts to adopt a School Conduct and
Discipline Procedure, with attached policy adopted by Charlotte Valley, October 31; brochure
explaining "just cause," with cover memo to Jim Conti, October 22; comparison of Empire Plan
with other health insurance plans; memo to Jim Conti requesting information on quality circles
and labor-management committees, July 22; memo re change in regional office serving the
Alfred-Almond Teachers Association, from Western New York Regional Office-Jamestown to
Southern Tier Regional Office, June 13; printout of open litigation files in NYSUT office of
general counsel for Vestal service center as of 5/16/85; list of NYSUT representatives to
tenure hearing panel, with recommended replacements, May 16; letters to field representatives
thanking them for good work, April 8; long memo from Jim Conti re PERB procedure for
accretion, March 21; related memos, March 1; memos re legality of deducting negotiated benefit
in lieu of salary (Sidney Teachers Association), March; memos re Broome-Tioga joint
administration of health insurance, with attached opinion of the state comptroller (most
important passages obscured by highlighter, appearing black on copy), February 15, relevant
text from General Municipal Law, and Trust Agreement, January 14; memo re staff meeting of
Southern Tier Regional Office, February 12; text of Section 25(4) of Workers' Compensation
Law; newspaper clipping from Cortland Standard re Tompkins-Cortland Community College
part-time faculty seeking union affiliation, November 16, 1984

Organizing CorrespondenceOrganizing Correspondence 1983-1986 Memo re strategy for organizing Methodist Hospital,
October 11, 1985; debriefing memo re organizing campaign at Jefferson Rehabilitation Center,
October 11, 1985; copy of article in Heathcare Financial Management, "Unionization in the
hospital industry: How are wages affected?" August 1985; memo re attached flyer targeting
health care professionals, with suggestions for shorter slogan, October 11, 1985; organizing
bulletin re counterfeit promotions designed to exclude pro-union employees from voting in
affiliation elections, September 1985; other issues of newsletter; newspaper clipping from
Washington Post re unionization movement among physicians, to retain more control over medical
decisions in response to insurance company regulations, August 12, 1985; newspaper clipping re
nurse protest against layoffs at Lockport Memorial Hospital, October 1, 1985; long, detailed
memo to file from Jim Conti re organizing activities on July 15-16, 1985, including meetings
with several people from New York Cityarea hospitals, nurses association; confidential memo
from Jim Conti to Vito DeLeonardis re nurse organizing, strong conviction by contacts that
nurses do not want to belong to a teacher's union, need to establish a separate organizational
identity that nevertheless maintains legal tie to NYSUT, August 12, 1985; memo discussing PERB
decisions (Williamsville and Hamburg cases) that would make organizing substitutes in small
and medium sized school districts more difficult, June 14, 1985; resume of potential nurse
organizer, July 18, 1985; memo to Jim Conti reorganizing efforts at Wayne Central Education
Association (NEA), May 20, 1985, with cover memo from Jim Conti asking whether a survey might
be helpful, June 17; application for local charter with Federation of Nurses and Health
Professionals, with cover memo noting discontinuation of professional liability insurance as
option, April 26, 1985; memos re PERB procedure re accretion, FebruaryMarch 1985; summary of
survey of adjunct faculty at Nassau Community College re representation by full-time faculty
association, concern over preserving seniority rights, March 1, 1985; long memo from Jim Conti
(tracking attached handwritten memo to Jim Conti from organizing coordinator John O'Leary)
discussing staffing, January 8, 1985; article from Industrial and Labor Relations Review, "The
Influence of Management Consultants on the Outcome of Union Certification Elections," October
1984, with cover memo to organizers from John O'Leary, December 10, 1984; long, detailed memo
from John O'Leary to Jim Conti and John DeGregorio analyzing the nurses (RN) organizing
campaign at St. John's hospital in Smithtown, October 31, 1984; memo from John O'Leary re
survey for organizing college clerical employees, February 13, 1985; memo from Jim Conti re
meeting re possibility of enlisting UUP's (United University Professions) help in organizing
health care workers, need to establish health- care identity within NYSUT, July 19, 1983

23

Coordinator's MemosMemo from Jim Conti to regional staff directors re PERB decisions re subcontracting of
summer school teachers and programs to BOCES, with attached text of decisions, December 17,
1986; informational brochure re Workers' Compensation; publication by New York State Health
Maintenance Organization Council, "HMO: a good idea that keeps getting better all the time";
memo from Jim Conti re Excellence in Teaching (EIT) payments and retirement credits, December
4; salary schedule increases for 1985-86 and 1986-87; memo from Jim Conti asking for financial
help for the health care workers of the Benjamin-Rush Employees Union, ten of whom lost their
jobs after a 20-day strike, November 24, 1986; request from Jim Conti for bargaining load for
each field representative for the year, with attached form, November 11; list of arbitration
grievance issues for tracking; improper practice charge against the Rome school district,
filed by the Rome Teachers Association, over Excellence in Teaching (EIT) funds, with cover
letter noting that the Rome Board of Education had since applied for the funds, and the
teachers' association would likely be withdrawing the charge, September 22; memo from Jim
Conti to regional staff directors advising them that the State Education Department would
likely consider applications for Excellence in Teaching funds even if school districts applied
beyond the expired deadline, October 9; briefing paper, "Teacher Salaries and the Excellence
in Teaching Law," September 22; memo with sample Improper Practice Charge that locals might
use when school districts do not apply for Excellence in Teaching funds, September 18; text of
address by attorney for school boards, Melvin H. Osterman, Jr., "Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the
Schools," presented at the first annual School Conference of the Capital Area, School
Development Association, July 14, 1986, with cover memo from Jim Conti to regional staff
directors, September 19; request from Jim Conti to regional staff directors re status of
negotiations over EIT monies, August 26; text of Comments on Briffault Report on Agency Fee,
prepared for PERB Agency Fee Symposium, September 9, 1986, presented by Bernard F. Ashe, Esq.,
general counsel, NYSUT, with cover memo from Jim Conti to regional staff directors;
confidential memo from Robert Allen to regional staff directors re private meeting to be held
one day before the regular meeting to discuss how Field Services Department officers (Allen,
Jim Conti, Vito De Leonardis) could be of more help to the staff directors, August 18; State
of New York Workers' Compensation Board brochure, "Physicians' Guide to Workers' Compensation,
Disability Benefits, Volunteer Firefighter Benefits," with cover memo from Jim Conti to
regional staff directors, August 14; correspondence re additional fees charged to teaching
assistants (school-related personnel) who apply to the State Education Department for
continuing certification, including exchange of letters between Commissioner Gordon Ambach and
NYSUT vice president Antonia Cortese, June-July; salary schedule increases for 1985-86 and
1986-87, October 11; memo from Jim Conti to regional staff directors re phone banks for
Cuomo/Lundine campaign, need to keep records in order for filing purposes, July 16; program
for Summer Institute for Union Women; Information Bulletins re state funding for Teacher
Centers; detailed memo from Jim Conti with recommendations for implementing EIT legislation,
June 9; memos re reduction in employer contribution to New York State Teachers Retirement
System, May 22; memo from Jim Conti with attached legislative bulletin from the New York State
School Boards Association opposing certain Excellence in Teaching regulations, May 22;
information release by the New York State Social Security Agency re new federal law requiring
coverage under Medicare of new public employees not covered under Social Security; memo re
draft regulations for Excellence in Teaching legislation; question and answer sheet re
Excellence in Teaching program with respect to BOCES; memo to the counsel to the Governor re
Excellence in Teaching legislation, April 17; fact sheet re New Jersey's Right-to-Know law,
with attached negotiations checklist; strategy memo from Jim Conti to coordinators re
Excellence in Teaching apportionment, April 23; memo to coordinators from Vito DeLeonardis re
upcoming training session for field representatives to provide retirement consultation
services to School-Related Personnel, following complaints that NYSUT was not providing the
same services for SRPs as it was for teachers, April 23; memo re Excellence in Teaching
legislation, including description of major aspects of the teacher salary aid, and excerpt
from text of legislation, April 14; briefing paper on the status and progress at the Workers'
Compensation Board, March 14; memo to coordinators from Jim Conti re procedure for legal
representation by NYSUT in cases where teachers choose a disciplinary procedure other than a
3020a hearing, March 18; materials re AFT Local Leaders' Conference, March 12; Bureau of
National Affairs article on real value of minimum wage, at lowest level since 1955, with cover
memo to coordinators; Bureau of National Affairs article re supreme Court's setting of agency
fees by unions, with cover memo

23

Albany Regional Office Legal FileRequest for assignment of NYSUT attorney in sex abuserelated 3020a case against teacher
(also charged criminally) in Johnstown school district, December 4; memos re pay grievance of
teacher at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake district, recommendation for Article 78 proceeding
instead, November; memo re teacher at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk district refusing to pay agency
fee for religious reasons; October 31; memos with NYSUT legal counsel re Shenendehowa school
district direction to teachers that violation of copyright laws would not be covered under the
Save Harmless provisions of Education Law, October; memo re investigation of sexual abuse
reports against teacher at Whitehall school district, determined by both local school board
and Grand Jury to be unfounded, failure to communicate findings to State Education Department,
subsequent letter from SED that it was opening an investigation, August 27; request for legal
assistance to appeal case to Commissioner as violation of Commissioner's Regulations re
teaching assignment that brought subject-certified East Greenbush teacher to just under full
time, replaced .1 with teacher not certified in subject area, September; request for legal
assistance for Adirondack Cooperative Teachers' Association (Washington-Warren-Hamilton-Essex
BOCES) full-time teacher being laid off for a part-time teacher, in violation of 2510 rights,
July; request for legal assistance for teacher suspended and charged in 3020a case in
Johnstown school district, June; request for NYSUT attorney consultation to advise on layoff
consequences of annexation of Draper school district by Mohonasen district, May; request for
legal assistance for the Guilderland Teachers Association, charged, with the school district,
with sex discrimination by four school nurses, for whom the NYS Division of Human Rights found
probable cause, April; request for legal assistance for teacher charged with 3020a
(incompetency) violation in Mohonasen school district, with attached specifics, April;
requests for representation in other 3020a cases in Hadley-Luzerne and
Schenectady-Albany-Schoharie BOCES; request for legal opinion in East Greenbush case involving
2510 recall rights, January

Mid: Hudson Regional Office Legal FileRequest for legal assistance for teacher in second 3020a case (conduct unbecoming a teacher,
for slapping a student), Poughkeepsie City School District, with attached specifics December
16; request for legal assistance for teacher in 3020a case (incompetence, for absenteeism),
Hyde Park school district, December; request for legal advice re rights of unmarried
40-year-old high school teacher considering becoming pregnant by artificial insemination,
following several unsuccessful adoption attempts, New Paltz Central School District, November;
PERB decision in matter of Greenville Central School District, respondent, and Greenville
Faculty Association, charging party, re unilaterally increasing number of teacher workdays for
1985-86 school year, October 15; request for legal assistance for teacher in 3020a case
(violation of policy against corporal punishment) at Ichabod Crane Central School, December;
request for legal assistance for teacher in 3020a case (incompetence, for failure to obtain
certification), related correspondence requesting extension, noting illness as extenuating
circumstance, Hudson City School District, September; request for legal assistance for teacher
in 3020a case (conduct unbecoming a teacher, for abusive language) at Highland Central School
District, June; request for legal assistance for teacher in 3020a case (conduct unbecoming a
teacher, for spanking), Poughkeepsie City School District, June; request for legal assistance
for teacher in 3020a case (conduct unbecoming a teacher, for several instances of physical
contact or speech considered inappropriate by the district), Hyde Park Central School, June;
memo re request by teacher for extension of probationary period, constituting waiver of tenure
by acquiescence, Livingston Manor, June; correspondence re 3020a charges against teacher at
Rhinebeck school district, June; correspondence re 3020a charges against teacher at Wappingers
Central School District (insubordination, for failure to submit to examination by
district-appointed psychiatrist; question of impartiality), May; request for legal assistance
for teacher in 3020a case (misconduct constituting a crime, conviction for aggravated
harassment), Catskill Central Schools, May; correspondence, including reports of classroom
observations by parent and by assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, re
level of instruction by teacher at New Paltz Central Schools, allegations of slapping,
description of resolution, September 1985-April 1, 1986; request for legal assistance for
teacher in 3020a case (misconduct, for attempting to fix speeding ticket), Poughkeepsie Public
School District, April; request for legal assistance for teacher in deciding whether to pursue
case against Ellenville district through 3020a proceedings (incompetence and conduct
unbecoming a teacher, for using racial slurs and physical violence against students), Article
78 (lawsuit), or other avenue, March; request for legal assistance for teacher in 3020a case
(conduct unbecoming a teacher, use of corporal punishment), Delaware Valley school district,
March; request for legal assistance in 3020a case (conduct unbecoming a teacher, for a variety
of infractions) at Hyde Park school district, January; request for legal opinion re filing an
Article 78 proceeding over a Freedom of Information request, Highland school district,
December, 1986; request for legal assistance in 3020a case (insubordination, for refusing to
follow directions of principal), Poughkeepsie City School District, December; request for
legal assistance in 3020a case (misconduct, for physical altercation with student), Millbrook
school district

23

Nassau Regional Office Legal FileNYSUT legal opinion on interest due American Express on Mailgram expenses during 1985
strike, June 18; legal question to NSUT counsel re whether proper procedures were followed by
New Hyde Park-Garden City school district in principal's placing letter of reprimand in
teacher's file, whether 3020a proceeding should have determined action, March 18; related case
at Uniondale, re letter of reprimand for failure to verify illness, April 3; correspondence re
Hewlett-Woodmere probationary teacher who resigned at district's request to teach in other
subject area, question of tenure, March; correspondence re tenured Nassau BOCES teacher,
certified in ornamental horticulture, reduction in assignment, consolidation of his position
with non- tenure area, April 8; legal opinion that Rockville Centre School District was not
required to continue health insurance coverage to Title I teachers who retire, absent written
agreement, March 21; request for legal opinion re whether teacher aides on school buses can be
required to submit to fingerprinting with the Nassau County police, April 3; request for legal
opinion re decision of Plainedge Public Schools to teach Latin in junior high school,
assignment of certain teachers certified to teach Latin, two of whom were about to be
excessed, April 16; request for legal opinion re effect on tenure status of assignment of
classes outside tenure area for teacher in Syosset Public Schools, April 22; memo re possible
legal action re alleged slander of union negotiating team by member of the Wantagh Board of
Education, April 22; memo re Garden City teacher informed that she would not be recommended
for tenure, meeting to discuss legal options, April 24; memo re meeting with legal staff and
teacher at East Rockaway district re rights under 913 of Education Law re 3020a case, May 7;
materials re denial of tenure of Great Neck teacher after unsatisfactory classroom evaluation
despite previous good evaluations, meeting to discuss legal options, May 14; memo setting up
legal consultation re rights of Hempstead teacher who was notified that he would not be
reappointed because of poor evaluation, September 9; memo re case of possibly punitive
reassignment of duties of vice president of Uniondale Teachers Association, legally blind
diabetic/partial amputee, tenured classroom teacher now given physically demanding assignments
(hall patrol, playground duty, bus duty), October 1; memo re involuntary assignment of teacher
tenured in instruction of the deaf to class of hearing but special-needs students, Farmingdale
Federation of Teachers, September 24; question of assignments exceeding daily teaching load at
Locust Valley Public Schools, possible violation of Commissioner's Regulations section
100.2(i), September 24; legal opinion re pay for days worked by teacher at East Rockaway,
November 19

23

North Country Legal File (Potsdam, Plattsburgh, Watertown)Memo to Jim Conti thanking him for approving the filing of an Improper Practice charge,
which had the desired effect of inducing the Massena Board of Education to ratify the contract
with the teachers association, December 10; memo re possible Article 78 proceeding against
Salmon Run Central School District for attempting to hire uncertified, non-unit non-teacher
for hockey coaching position when two other certified Salmon River teachers applied for the
position, November 24; legal opinion re possibility of certification for teacher who was
convicted of possession of marijuana when the crime was a felony, August 26; legal opinion re
alleged employment discrimination at Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES against recovering alcoholic, in
treatment for six years, July 9; legal opinion and lengthy related correspondence re temporary
restraining order against Salmon River for schedule change interpreted by teachers as a
lengthening of the school day, August 13; PERB interim decision in the matter of
Edwards-Russell Central School District, employer, and Edwards-Russell Teachers Association,
petitioner, and Edwards Teachers' Association, intervenor; memo to Jim Conti re possibility of
several 3020a cases arising out of child abuse allegations at Putnam Central School District,
with attached newspaper clipping, May-June

23

Rochester Regional Office Legal FileMemo re layoff procedures in consolidation of two Rush-Henrietta School District high
schools, November 21; memo re inquiry from Webster Teachers Association as to whether
homosexuality in and of itself constitutes moral turpitude under 3020a and is grounds for
termination, and related questions, September 15; request for interpretation of provision in
Spencerport collective bargaining agreement re tuition reimbursement, May 21; memo re
professional misconduct charge against school nurse in Rush-Henrietta school district for one
instance of dispensing medication not in accordance with procedure when parents could not be
contacted, July 1; correspondence re updating of records at State Education Department,
resulting in Notice of Substantial Question as to Moral Character for teacher at Fairport
regarding apparent false statement re teaching certificate, possibility of clerical errors
involving incorrect Social Security number and other filing issues, June 24; question of
taxability of employee tuition reimbursement, May-June; memo re permanent key punch operator
and member of Greece Support Services Employees Association, denied getting her job back
following long-term disability leave for cancer, February-June; legal opinion advising that
NYSUT not attempt to appeal case of tenured physical education teacher granted 4-year leave of
absence at East Irondequoit and later excessed, related text of court decision, correspondence
from NEA, May; request for legal assistance for suspended teacher at Clyde school district,
question of whether to defend dismissal via 3020a procedure or binding arbitration, April;
memos re 3020a charges at Spencerport and Gates-Chili school districts, February;
correspondence re salary dispute by teacher who resigned mid-year from Romulus Central School
District, February 5

23

Southern Tier Legal File (Binghamton, Elmira)Memo requesting legal opinion re authority of Superintendent of Otselic Valley schools to
fire a bus driver without authorization by the full Board of Education, March; memos re 3020a
cases in Elmira school district, March 17, 1987, and December 16, 1986; state Supreme Court
legal decision re Gary Stokotelny v. Elmira School District, December 1, 1986; arbitration
award re dismissal of teacher by Elmira school district, memo re non-compliance of school
district, need to compel enforcement, September 17; memo re human rights complaint by teacher
against the Newfield Central School District, February 25, with copy of complaint;
correspondence re denial of military service credit by the Teacher Retirement System to a
teacher retired from Acova school district, February-June; memos re prior service credit at
Endicott-Union School District, decision to pursue matter (citing competition with NEA) in
spite of remote likelihood of success, May; claim against Elmira City School District for
assigning guidance counselor outside his tenure area to an adult career counseling program,
with NYSUT memo noting that assignment was for less than 50% of regular duties, thus not
jeopardizing tenure rights, March; related correspondence, February; memos re teacher load at
Chenango Valley school district, February; materials re 3020a case (physical or mental
disability) for teacher at Watkins Glen, January; correspondence re qualifications for
certification in health education for teacher in Elmira school district, October 1985-January
1986

23

Suffolk Regional Office Legal FileCorrespondence re teacher who had been laid off from Commack School District, then relocated
to Vermont, then was recalled six years later but had since retired, question of whether he
was still eligible for recall, August-September; letter re teacher who wanted to return to
work after a long period of sick leave/disability following an automobile accident, July 10;
state Supreme Court decision upholding PERB decision for Suffolk County Community College,
with cover memo to Jim Conti re appeal, February; memo from field representative to legal
staff re teacher at Elwood district whose appointment as probationary teacher was changed
retroactively to permanent substitute, question of rights, seniority accrual, March 6; memo
from field representative to legal staff re teachers at West Islip who had been serving as
long-term substitutes, now filing a grievance and complaint of age discrimination with Human
Rights Division, March 5; memos re policy at Brentwood district requiring teachers to use
their private vehicles to transport sick students to doctor or home, question of liability for
accidents, charges of molestation, need for written legal opinion, February; memo re failure
to be recalled to a vacancy for teacher at Kings Park district, February 5; question of
seniority for teacher at Cold Spring Harbor district, January 23; request for legal assistance
for teacher at Three Villages district, convicted of 25 felony counts of forgery and grand
larceny, January 22; memo re tenured Northport physical education teacher believed by district
to have forged education credentials, January 16; memo re teacher at Port Jefferson School
District facing possible lawsuit by parents of student whom she drove to her home upon finding
no one home at student's residence, March 20; memo re million-dollar civil suit being filed
against Central Islip school district and teacher who pled guilty to misdemeanor for striking
a student, March 19; memo re teacher who had not been working but drawing full salary and
benefits for nearly ten years following an injury from an assault by a parent, attempts by
Sayville school district to compel him to return to work, settlement offer re resignation,
taking disability retirement, March 26; memo re 3020a charges against teacher at Middle Island
district, April 14; memo re teacher at Elwood school district whose application for disability
leave was processed incorrectly as disability retirement, embarrassment at narrow
reappointment vote by school board, position that vote was unnecessary and inappropriate, May
1; memo re change in job title of certified social worker to peer counselor at Three Villages
district, appointment as temporary rather than probationary, April 30; memo re discovery by
Commack business teacher that his classes were being surreptitiously taped by a student,
question of legal recourse, May 23; question of whether teaching assignment in reading subject
area would jeopardize tenure of certified language arts teacher at Half Hollow Hills district,
May 14; memo re recurring problem at BOCES II district, excessing occupational education
teachers who are qualified to teach in related subject areas, June 18; memo re three teachers
who believed that they were not rehired by Port Jefferson district because of political
scapegoating or status as recovering alcoholic, possible contract violation, May 16; letter
from teacher at Smithtown High School with questions re tenure if assigned to teach junior
high, May 22; memo re teacher at Three Villages school district who should have been given a
probationary instead of a temporary appointment, May 16; memo re teacher from South Huntington
district who wanted to talk to a lawyer before getting a note from his doctor that he would
not be able to work for at least a semester because of a heart condition, June 6; memo re
recall rights of secondary school teacher also certified as an elementary school teacher,
facing layoff at Hauppauge district, June 19; memo re two teachers at South Huntington
district whose use of personal days off was being investigated by school district following
anonymous note, issue of violation of rights, June 6; request for legal opinion re special
education teacher at BOCES I Suffolk who had been granted a year's unpaid leave for
professional growth but wanted to rescind it or work elsewhere, question of whether district
could refuse to allow her to work while on unpaid leave, June 23; request for legal opinion re
policy at BOCES 2 (NYSUT Local 3037, Patchogue), not giving credit for authorship of any
academic publication or computer software developed by teachers in the course of employment,
claim that policy undermines creativity, motivation to excel, academic freedom, June 9; age
discrimination charge against NYSUT local with the Division of Human Rights by former teacher
at Dowling College, June 13, and related correspondence; memo re possible retaliatory change
in summer assignment of local union president by school superintendent after objection to
change in class size at Babylon district, July 16; memo re possible litigation on behalf of
United Aides of Huntington, who had not been informed of their right to join the State
Employees' Retirement System, need to reclassify them under Civil Service, July 16; memo re
seniority matter for teacher at Hauppauge High School, July 1; correspondence re complex
seniority issue re teacher at Lindenhurst district whose one-year leave had initially been
denied but later retroactively granted, with effects years later on teachers with less
seniority who would be excessed, union's position, June; memo re East Moriches district's use
of teacher assistants instead of teachers for reading, June 27; request for legal
representation for teacher at Three Villages district who had been convicted of grand larceny
and was facing possible revocation of teaching license through hearing re substantial question
as to moral character, June 27; memo requesting legal assistance for Elwood teacher aide
attempting to obtain earlier retirement credit for service, July 24; memo requesting meeting
with NYSUT attorney over letter of reprimand received by teacher who was turned down for
principal position and wrote a letter to the editor criticizing West Babylon Board of
Education, August 13; memo re appointment history of teacher at Cold Spring Harbor district,
question of seniority, August 13; appeal in Supreme Court Appellate Division in the matter of
Patchogue-Medford Congress of Teachers v. Board of Education of the Patchogue-Medford Union
Free School District, re mandatory drug testing of probationary teachers eligible for tenure,
August 11, 1986; memo re tenure process at Half Hollow Hills district, September 9; memo re
recall rights of teacher for job opening at computer center in BOCES 3 district, September 16;
memo re possible arbitration over discontinuation of a contract clause providing medical and
dental coverage for retired teachers at Three Villages school district, September 9; question
re seniority credit procedure for half-day kindergarten at Kings Park school district,
September 3; memo discussing coach who resigned after throwing a party for the team at which
alcohol was consumed by students, later recalled but subject to campaign to have her removed
by school board member with a personal interest in obtaining her job for her own daughter,
Commack district, September 19; newspaper clipping of Newsday article, "Drug Testing Ruled Out
for Tenure," August 12, 1986; question as to whether Laurel school district was obligated to
pay hospitalization for retired teachers, September 5; memo re contract language allowing
corporal punishment at Port Jefferson Station, September 10; question of whether a teacher who
takes sick time off and is docked pay also loses seniority, Hauppauge district, September 24;
questions re proposal to change the mission of Dowling College and expand its campus to Puerto
Rico, September 9; question re separate tenure accumulations of teacher at Smithtown High
School and Junior High, October 16; memo re stay of arbitration in coaching issue at Riverhead
school district, October 20; question of whether lay teachers can be paid to teach religious
instruction with public funds, Madonna Heights Services, October 17; meeting re legal
appointment with president of Suffolk Child Development Center Teachers Association re
center's use of pension funds for unrelated matters, October 21; memo re disability retirement
agreement (attached) between teacher and Sayville School District, dispute over option
offsetting lump-sum payment, October 17; memo re teacher at Center Moriches district who
indicated that he was totally disabled following a year leave of absence without pay, dispute
over requirement for medical exam, November 5; memo reviewing appointment history of teacher
at Three Villages district, question of tenure area, November 4; memo re ability of parochial
school principal in Sayville district to assign nurse-teachers, with attached letter from St.
Lawrence School, November 13; request for 3020a hearing by teacher at Port Jefferson school
district to defend charges of insubordination, neglect of duty, and conduct unbecoming a
teacher, with cover memo to NYSUT legal office, October 29; memo re teacher, also a coach, who
discovered that the West Islip school district had stopped paying into his retirement system,
claiming he was only a casual employee, December 10; question of planned retirement after ten
years of teaching by teacher at Tuckahoe school district, potential refusal by district to
consider him eligible for retirement benefits, December 9; memo and transcript of conversation
with teacher at Sayville High School re alleged improper relationship with one or more
students, December 9; memos re seniority issues for occupational education teachers at BOCES
II, facing declining enrollment, December 8; letter to NYSUT general counsel James Sandner re
teacher in North Babylon School District re arbitration over status as long-term substitute
vs. per diem substitute, December 19; memo re teacher in West Islip who was reassigned as a
permanent substitute following a medical leave, December 19; memo re grievance claiming
misplacement on the salary schedule, question of probationary or permanent status, Amityville,
December 18; memo re teacher suspended with pay following long leave of absence, allegations
by student, dismissal hearing, Middle Country Central School, November 21; memo re seniority
question involving mistake in appointment of teacher at Elwood school district, resulting in
slightly more seniority for teacher, now in dispute over excessing with another teacher,
November 29; memo re possible discharge of a tenured instructor at Suffolk Community College,
suspended with pay, grievance, November 20; memo re sudden dismissal of a professor at Dowling
College upon discovery that he submitted an incorrect transcript that indicated he had a
Ph.D., need for injunction to continue pay, block rescinding of contract, March 6, 1987; memo
suggesting consolidation of two part-time jobs into one full-time at BOCES involving job
development for students, March 17, 1987; memo re complaint by teacher at South Huntington
district that contract did not allow utilization of sick days left over from prior year,
giving less benefit than required under Education Law, March 18, 1987; question re teacher at
BOCES 3 whose full-time position had been reduced to half-time, three months after which, the
teacher resigned, later asked back as half-time teacher, returned and then later informed that
the position would be eliminated for full-time position, for which he would not be rehired,
June 16, 1987; tenure questions re occupational and special education teachers at Rocky Point
and BOCES 3, June 16, 1987

23

Syracuse Regional Office Legal FileMaterials re seniority rights and reduced workload of foreign language teacher in East
SyracuseMinoa district, SeptemberDecember, 1986; memo re complaints by teacher aides in
Central Square district that they had been given teacher assistant responsibilities,
OctoberDecember; materials re confirmation proceedings for arbitration award in Oneida
district re transfer of teachers, JuneAugust; materials re recall rights of speech therapist
at Cayuga BOCES, JuneJuly; materials re 3020a case of teacher at Onondaga Central School
District, June; legal opinion re teacher liability questions, June; memos re petitions to stay
arbitration in matter of adopting new work schedule and posting and filling job vacancy
positions at East Syracuse-Minoa district, March; order to show cause for a judgment staying
the arbitration brought against Onondaga Community College, with attached legal advice,
January-February; memo re retirement rights of teacher at Liverpool district, January; memos
re possible 3020a case involving sexual abuse by a teacher at Onondaga Central School
District, noting choice by NYSUT field representative not to look at the specific charges
during initial process, January; materials re case of contracting out work of Cazenovia school
psychologist, with letter from Commissioner Gordon Ambach, July 1983-January 1986; memo re
possible arbitration for teacher in Syracuse district seeking to recover lost salary after
working in wrong step as a result of error by Marcellus district, January; inquiry re whether
a retired teacher can serve on the school board in North Syracuse, January; materials,
including review of appointment history, re special education teacher at Phoenix (NY) Central
Schools who accepted half-time appointment following maternity leave, question of whether she
was later entitled to full-time position when it became available, December 1985-January 1986;
memo re petition by Oneida City School District to vacate arbitration award, August

23

Utica Regional Office Legal FileMemo re refusal by Mohawk Valley Community College to honor subpoena issued by arbitrator re
denial of promotions, citing executive session privilege, need for documents to prosecute the
grievance, compromise of due process, November; memo re dues collection problem with
strike-breaker in Mt. Markham School District, September; memo re summons, complaint, and
order to show cause against the president of the Mohawk Valley Community College Professional
Association over the agency fee clause in the agreement with the college, filed by a faculty
members who vowed to quit if an agency fee was ever imposed, October; request for legal
representation for teacher served with 3020a charges in Little Falls School District,
September; memo re request to modify arbitration award at Mohawk Valley Community College,
based on alleged erroneous interpretation of contract clause by arbitrator re layoff, with
attached brief, April

23

Western NY Legal File (Buffalo, Jamestown)Materials re tenured teacher laid off by Lackawanna district, later recalled, but not after
less-senior teachers were assigned, December; memo re agency fee arbitration in Hamburg
district, November; material re City of Jamestown's refusal to comply with arbitration award
re nurse scheduling at Jamestown General Hospital, October; materials re 3020a charges against
a teacher by Franklinville district, alleging that she did not have the mental or emotional
capacity to teach because she had not continued to take medication for a diagnosed chronic
mood disorder and was exhibiting unusual behavior, insubordination, incompetence, and conduct
unbecoming a teacher, October; materials re librarian at North Tonawanda Senior High School re
employment rights at Hamburg school district, allegations of poor representation by NYSUT,
August 12, 1985-November 4, 1986; memos re seniority status of teacher at West Seneca
district, October; memo re teacher at Orchard Park, found partially guilty of 3020a charges,
reassigned to a non-teaching position thought not to be in his tenure area, October; memo re
teacher at West Seneca district, outlining appointment history, question of whether seniority
rights were violated, October; order to show cause for stay of arbitration at Pembroke Central
School District, September; memos and recommendation by NYSUT legal counsel that teacher in
Kenmore district file a complaint with the NYS Division of Human Rights and the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission re possible violation of Age Discrimination Employment Act
by provision in Education Law re borrowing and repayment against retirement annuity fund,
July; materials re maintenance mechanic at Genesee-Wyoming BOCES, denial of disability
retirement, July; materials re 3020a charges against teachers at Maryville and Niagara Falls
districts, June-July; memos re legal implication of Kenmore Teachers Association and Kenmore
School District peer performance review plan, with attached plan description, May-June;
materials re layoffs of physical education teachers at West Seneca school district, question
of whether commissioner's regulations were being violated, May-June; memo re seniority and
layoff questions for three teachers at Eden district, June; memos re question of immunity for
home school counselor who wanted to report suspected child abuse of one of his students,
May

24

Field Office Misc. NYSTA Professional Staff AssociationCorrespondence with Jim Conti noting his election as president of the Professional Staff
Association of the New York State Teachers Association, November 2, 1971; expressions of
sympathy at death of wife, January 1976; letter to Conti from NYS Teachers' Retirement System
re refundable contributions under Special Service Retirement Plan, June 24, 1974; PSA
membership reports, strike donations, expenses; letter of resignation from James B. Schmatz,
December 4, 1972; memo re NYSTA-NEO (NYSTA Employees Organization) agreement, recommending
ratification, with attached analysis, November 1, 1971; brochure and cover letter soliciting
membership in National Education Professional Staff Organization, October 8, 1971; memos and
related materials re salary freeze, 1971; handwritten notes of December 17, 1970, meeting of
NEO; text of agreement between NYSTA and NEO, 1971; letter to Jim Conti as president of the
NYSTA Professional Staff Association from Dale A. Robinson, president of the National
Education Association Staff Organization, noting that NEASO had reached an agreement with NEA,
thanking Conti for his support, June 24, 1971; memo to Conti re possible formal relationship
between PSA and regional representatives, threat by some representatives to quit if salary is
not raised, June 8, 1971; constitution of the PSA; negotiations updates (one-page
newsletters)

24

Field Office Misc: NYSTA Employee Organization (NEO/PSA)Constitution and bylaws of NYSTA Employees Organization, as adopted March 1968, amended
through September 1970; agreement between the New York State Teachers Association and the
NYSTA Employees Organization, 1969-1971; agenda of NEO meeting of November 10, 1970;
handwritten minutes of "Rep Council," November 10, 1970; proposed dues schedule, adopted at
November 10, 1970, meeting; extensive handwritten memos to Jim Conti from Ray (Calabrese?) re
meetings with PSA/NEO, petitions, 1970-1971; materials re grievances; correspondence between
Conti, Calabrese, and with Frank White, executive secretary of NYSTA, re salaries

Field Office Misc: Legal Briefs, Eden Central School
DistrictNew York Supreme Court Appellate Division record on appeal in the matter of the application
of Bobbie Lee Soda, petitioner-appellant, for a judgment pursuant to Article 78 of the Civil
Practice Law against Kenneth W. Christner, Superintendent of the Eden Central School District
#1, and the Board of Education of the Eden Central School District #1, respondents-appellees;
brief on behalf of petitioner-appellant

24

Field Office Misc: Legal Briefs, Harrison Central School
DistrictNew York Supreme Court memorandum of law on behalf of the respondent, in the matter of the
application of Board of Education of Central School District, Harrison, New York, petitioner,
against Harrison Association of Teachers, respondent for an order pursuant to Section 7511
Civil Practice Law and Rules Vacating an Arbitration

Field Office Misc: Legal, Williamsville Central School District
(Buffalo) (2 of 3)PERB transcript of hearing in the matter of the Board of Education of the Central School
District No. 3 of the Towns of Amherst, Clarence, and Cheektowaga, respondent, and
Williamsville Teachers Association, charging party; Exceptions to the Finding of the Hearing
Officers Memorandum of the Charging Party, June 24, 1975, and May 11, 1976; improper practice
charge; agreement between Williamsville Central School District # 3 and Williamsville Teachers
Association 1970-1973

Field Office Misc.: New York Nurses Chapter, UFT -Improper Practice
ChargeImproper Practice Charge filed against the Health & Hospitals Corporation of the
City of New York; UFT position papers and other flyers promoting affiliation with Nurses
Chapter

Field Office Misc.: Conference and training-AFT Staff Leadership
Development ProgramMaterials re case studies of organizing at several hospitals and General Dynamics; NLRB
booklet, "A Guide to Basic Law and Procedures under the National Labor Relations Act,"
1978

Field Office Misc.: Conference and Training, BOCES 9th Annual
ConferencePolicy papers, including Testimony of Thomas Y. Hobart, Jr., President, New York State
United Teachers, to the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Education on the
Classification and Standards Project Board of Regents/State Education Department Proposal,
March 17, 1980; NYSUT Policy Statement on Education for Children with Handicapping Conditions;
NYSUT Information Bulleting on Maximizing Teacher Impact on the Evaluation and Placement of
Children with Handicapping Conditions; Regents' Classification and Standards Project: A Status
Report; related papers; summary of attendees' evaluation of conference

Field Office Misc.: Conference and Training-United University
Professions Delegate AssemblyConference program; draft constitution; printed constitution and bylaws, November 1978;
commentary by the Committee for Correspondence for the United Caucus of UUP re "certain
notions of reform"

25

Field Office Misc.: Legislation/Political Action/Vote/COPEFinal Legislative Report, July 11, 1980; NYSUT tentative 1980 legislative program, January
11, 1980; voting records on key bills, committee assignments, incumbency status, party
affiliation, and NYSUT endorsement status of every state legislator (senators and
assemblymen), by district; Message to the Legislature by Governor Hugh L. Carey, January 9,
1980; VOTE/COPE contribution totals, 1974-1979; document, "How to Run for Delegate and
Alternate to the 1980 Democratic National Party Convention," printed by the New York State
Democratic Committee

Albany Regional Office CorrespondenceFlyer and cover memo from Jim Conti re pesticide hazard workshop, December 14, 1989;
material distributed at PERB workshop on unit fragmentation, with cover memo from Jim Conti,
September 27, 1989; letter from Jim Conti to the director of the NYS Department of Labor
Division of Health and Safety, requesting an investigation into letters of reprimand by the
superintendent of the Mechanicville School District against two teachers who brought evidence
of asbestos to his attention, December 5, 1989; correspondence re proposed smoking policy at
Guilderland school district, September-October 1989; correspondence between Jim Conti,
regional staff director John Sole, and the State Education Department re meeting to review
asbestos and other health and safety hazards in schools, May 1989; agenda for Germantown
Teachers Association meeting, with cover memo from Jim Conti noting that they had vote to
reaffiliate with NYSUT, May 1, 1989; NYSUT Information Bulletin, "Certification, Tenure and a
Middle School Teaching Assignment," with detailed commentary from John Sole to Charles
Santelli and attached copy of legal decision (Baer) and Part 30 Regulations, May 4, 1989;
correspondence re multi-employer funds for nurses, March-April 1989; correspondence re PERB
public sector labor relations conference, March 1989; request for legal opinion re disparity
in work rules between elementary and secondary schools in Mechanicville district, March 10,
1989; memos between John Sole and Jim Conti re asbestos removal in the schools, March 1989;
memos re Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, noting that school districts in Albany region had
attempted to impose additional conditions of employment in compliance with the act and that
such changes required negotiation, with attached text of legislation and one such policy,
March 1989; National Education Association document, "The Use of Recognized Teaching Models
for Teacher Evaluation," and memos between Jim Conti and other NYSUT officials discussing
NYSUT approach, March 1989; memos re endowment for the care of an active or retired teacher in
the Troy school district at Leonard Hospital, set up in a will in 1925; Southern Adirondack
League of Teachers spreadsheet of local stipends for officers; correspondence re
Schenectady-Albany-Schoharie BOCES Faculty Association request re feasibility of challenging
the composition of BOCES so that low-population rural counties do not have disproportionate
influence over policy making, with attached documentation dating to 1953; inquiry form La
Salle School re legislation to improve salaries at approved 201, 853, 4402, and Special Act
schools, January 15, 1989

Meeting With Grand Island Teachers AssociationAlbany Regional Office, January 10, 1989. Confidential memo re meeting with Grand Island
Teachers Association re unsuccessful "work-to-rule" action in which, as a negotiating tactic,
all teachers resigned from any extracurricular assignments, which was interpreted by the
school district as a strike; related correspondence

27

Buffalo Regional Office CorrespondenceHarvard University Energy and Environmental Policy Center report, "Summary of Symposium on
Health Aspects of Exposure to Asbestos in Buildings," August 1989; letter of recommendation
from Jim Conti to Cornell ILR Western District Director re potential hire as instructor for
labor studies course, December 14, 1989; list of Erie County local presidents; Board of
Regents discussion item, follow-up report on occupational education in the large five cities,
May 26, with cover memo from NYSUT Occupational Education Committee liaison Pat Flynn; flyer
for workshop, "Shared Decision Making: An Awareness Session," from Western New York
Educational Service Council, with cover memo to local presidents, September 11; memo re salary
comparison survey, with attached sheet correlating numerical step schedules to new
alphabetical ones and correcting for compression effects, September 27; list of Western NY
Regional Office staffing, indicating local responsibility of field service representatives,
July 6; letter from Mort Zuckerman, chairman and editor-in-chief of U.S. News & World
Report, to NYSUT president Tom Hobart, noting success of To Give & Learn project,
developed by U.S. News and IBM, praising Blasdell Elementary School teacher John Ebel for
leadership on selection committee, September 28; letter from Niagara Falls Teachers Grievance
Committee chair, thanking regional rep for assistance, July 25; memo from Tom Hobart to NYSUT
Board of Directors re waiver of two-week notification requirement for special election to fill
vacancies for election district directors, June 30; letter to Tom Hobart from Cheektowaga
Central Teachers Association, noting NYSUT's inability to provide accurate salary comparisons,
April 24; memo re critical storage space needs of Western Regional Office, May 30; memo from
Jim Conti to Chuck Santelli requesting a coordinator to meet with nurses formerly employed at
Jamestown General Hospital to address negative attitudes about NYSUT and the closure of the
hospital, May 10; memo from Jim Conti to NYSUT legal counsel Bernard Ashe re possible lawsuit
after endorsement of candidate by Lackawanna Teachers Federation in school board election,
April 24; correspondence re seniority issues for custodians at Alden Central School District
after school closure, April 4; memo re agenda for upcoming meetings of Erie County Council of
Teacher Union Presidents re shared decision making, February 23; correspondence from law firm
representing school bus driver in wrongful termination case against Sweet Home Central School
District, with cover memo noting NYSUT should not provide assistance, lack of legal grounds,
January 3

Elmsford Regional Office InterviewsLetters of application for field representative, resumes, and related correspondence

27

Elmsford Regional Office: Mt. Pleasant-Blythedale DistrictMemo, "Personnel Management," detailing more than 100% staff turnover at Mt.
Pleasant-Blythedale school district in one-year period, 1987-88 (49 out of 43 employees, at
least 10 terminated) under superintendent Mariann Berlinger, including profiles of teachers,
evaluation histories; correspondence from Berlinger and teachers, documenting minor
infractions as reasons for terminations, including chronologies; audit report of Mt.
Pleasant-Blthythedale school by State Comptroller, finding irregularities, disallowing
reimbursements, with cover memo, September 26, 1989; memo to Jim Conti noting that in the wake
of the audit, superintendent Berlinger was ordered to the leave the building without
collecting personal effects, and that teachers were informed that she was on "health" leave
and would not return, September 11, 1989, with attached newspaper clipping re successful legal
action by parents

27

Elmsford Regional Office CorrespondenceMap showing directions to NYSUT Elmsford Regional Office; letter to Jim Conti from
Westchester Federation of Visiting Nurses describing terms of successful contract negotiation,
December 1; decision and appeal in Rockland County BOCES unemployment case, with cover memo,
November 21; related memo, October 25; letter from president of Newburgh Teachers' Association
to NYSUT regional staff director, requesting that NYSUT secure the services of a professional
insurance advisor to conduct a study of alternative health insurance plans, September 8;
memorandum of understanding between the American Federation of Teachers (Western Operations
Headquarters) and the American Red Cross, with attached letter from the Westchester County
Chapter of the American Red Cross asking for a similar agreement with the Elmsford NYSUT
office, and memo from Jim Conti to Tom Hobart, pointing out that agreement appeared one-sided,
with AFT locals providing assistance to Red Cross, August 22; announcement by BOCES Staff
Association of Rockland that referendum would be conducted by the American Arbitration
Association to establish two separate bargaining units, one for teachers and the other for
teaching assistants, with attached details and sample ballot; memo from Jim Conti re
difficulty of fragmenting units as proposed by Rockland staff association, with attached PERB
decision in similar case (County Association of Patrol Officers, petitioner, and County of
Erie and Erie County Sheriff, joint employer, and Teamsters Local 264, intervenor); summary of
Byram Hills contract settlement, May 24; memo with attached list of demands by Ad Hoc
Committee on Special Acts and 4201 School Districts, June 27; memo re 3020a filing procedures,
June 1; press release from Yonkers Public Schools, "Yonkers Board of Education Breaks Off
Negotiations with Teachers' Union," with attached executive summary of report, "Impact of the
Wage Cap on the Supply of Teachers in Yonkers and the Implications for the School District and
the City of Yonkers," by Matthew Drennan, Professor of Economics, and George T. Fuller,
Adjunct Associate Professor, Graduate School of Public Administration, New York University,
April 26, 1989, and flyers protesting salary caps; correspondence re asbestos problem,
exacerbated by physical disturbance of area by reinspection process, at Irvington High School,
May 30; Rockland BOCES election debriefing opening remarks and outline, with cover memo from
Jim Conti, May 26; letter to president of Irvington Faculty Association in response to
comments to Representative Assembly survey, in which he indicated dissatisfaction with NYSUT
services and possible move to decertify, March 31, 1989; copy of reimbursement check to cover
docking of one day's pay by BOCES West Nyack for member to attend PERB hearing, March 27;
privileged and confidential supplemental report from attorney to Utica Mutual Insurance
Company re O'Neil v. NYSUT, noting positive development in postponement of the appeal, April
14; letter from NYSUT regional director re decision by NYSUT not to attempt an organizing
campaign at Leake and Watts Children's Home, citing small size of unit and other
considerations, March 29; personnel manual for Leake and Watts, newsletters, and related
correspondence; Section 89 Fact Sheet (Tax Reform Act of 1986), with cover memo from
secretary-treasurer of AFT, March 21; memos from Jim Conti re survey from New York
University's Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives' Harry Van Arsdale Labor History Project, asking
that a letter be sent to all local presidents, asking them to fill it out, February March 2,
with attached copy of questionnaire; correspondence re long-delayed arbitration to resolve
non-payment of salary increase for teacher who had since left the Florida Teachers'
Association, January-February; Regional Staff Director's Report, February 2; handwritten notes
of Elmsford staff meeting of 9/14/88

27

Jamestown Regional Office CorrespondenceLetter from Allegheny Council on Occupational Safety and Health (ALCOSH) to NYSUT
Southwestern Regional Office re CCINFOdisk, a compact CD-ROM developed by the Canadian Centre
for Occupational Health and Safety, with attached flyer; memo re results of Jamestown aides
election, June 13; memo from Jim Conti to Chuck Santelli requesting a coordinator to meet with
nurses formerly employed at Jamestown General Hospital to address negative attitudes about
NYSUT and the closure of the hospital, May 10; letter to Jim Conti from director of NYS
Department of Labor Division of Safety and Health re alleged retaliation, a violation of the
PESH Act, against two teachers (one of whom was pregnant) by Allegheny- Cattaraugus BOCES for
complaining about paint fumes, February 27, with attached relevant section of the law and
related correspondence with state Attorney General's office

Nassau Regional Office CorrespondenceSummary of PERB decision on retiree inclusion in health trust fund as a non- mandatory
subject of bargaining, 12/20/89; letter to regional staff director thanking him for help in
membership drive at Farmingdale and Old Westbury chapters of United University Professions,
November 30; letter from New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health re New Hyde
Park School District Asbestos Abatement Reports, October 31; correspondence between Jim Conti
and teacher re curtailment of her outpatient mental health coverage under the Empire Plan,
September; Newsday opinion piece, "Bigger Classes Will Harm Education on LI," by
superintendent of North Shore school district, October 16; other clippings; letter from
teacher requesting help in enforcing smoking policy at Oyster Bay-East Norwich school
district, referral to local president, November; letter describing challenges to election
results at Wantagh Teachers Association, with handwritten notation that matter was an internal
affair, June; letter from president of Lynbrook Teachers Association to Antonia Cortese, chair
of NYSUT Legal Review Committee, asking her to reexamine the decision of the Office of General
Counsel in New York City not to continue the local's lawsuit appeal, June 26; letter to NYSUT
president Tom Hobart from president of Farmingdale Federation of Teachers requesting change in
NYSUT data processing policy against downloading lists onto disks and only providing hard
copies to locals, noting electronic version would help locals customize information, May 3;
text of decision in Supreme Court, Nassau County, fining United Teachers of Seaford for
criminal contempt, May 3, with cover memos from Jim Conti to NYSUT executive officers and
regional staff directors, May 5; memo re Farmingdale contract clause re payment of salary
during a 3020a suspension, creation of supplementary fund, April 19; memo re Oceanside PERB
hearing in which NYSUT was named in the charge on the ill-informed advice of the hearing
officer, March 20; materials re Empire Plan, including "Cost Containment Strategies for
Participating Agencies," contribution rate table, and cover memo to Jim Conti noting that
premiums were expected to rise 12-15%, March 13; correspondence re head football coach at
Schreiber High School (Port Washington district) whose position was in jeopardy, request for
legal help, January; letter from president of Levittown United Teachers to counsel &
deputy for legal affairs, State Education Department, re Excellence in Teaching (EIT) funds
being held in escrow by district because of a difference of opinion on the eligibility of
chairmen to receive a share of the funds, requesting interpretation, January 10;
correspondence re complex dual coverage issues for retirees at Long Beach district ,
January-February

27

Nassau Regional Office Misc.Newsletters

27

NYC Regional Office CorrespondenceCollective Bargaining Agreement between New York University and United Staff Association of
NYU, Local 3882, New York State United Teachers, AFT, AFL-CIO, 1987-1990; correspondence re
tax status of graduate and undergraduate students at NYU, November-December; memo re health
insurance aspects of settlement negotiated with Pratt Institute, status of negotiations with
Cooper Union and Taylor Business Institute, October 17; letters from teacher-attorneys at
Suffolk Community College, correcting information contained in fact sheet distributed in
advance of possible strike, September 29; correspondence re smoking law, November; letter to
Tom Hobart from president of United Staff Association of NYU, thanking him for the assistance
provided by NYSUT during the strike, March 14

27

North Country Correspondence (1 of 2)Handwritten notes of North Country staff meeting, November 4, 1988; letter to NYSUT counsel
Bernard Ashe from teacher involved in 3031 arbitration in Horseheads school district,
dissatisfied with services of field representative, requesting an attorney, January 14, 1989;
memo to Jim Conti re case, January 27; related correspondence between teacher and field rep,
January; Supreme Court (Jefferson County) decision in Board of Education of the Watertown
Central School District v. Watertown Education Association and related exhibits, re EIT funds,
with cover memo to Jim Conti, February 7; materials describing state participation in IRS
Pre-Tax Contribution Program, or health insurance "cafeteria plan"; materials re ventilation
problem at Malone High School, January-April; correspondence re school-related personnel (SRP)
workshop, March; request for legal opinion and reply from NYSUT counsel Bernard Ashe for
interpretation of Commissioner's Regulations re coaching qualifications for interscholastic
athletic teams, February; materials re 3020a case in Watertown City School District, including
details of charges with handwritten annotations, April; request for additional field rep,
April 19; materials re new structural problems at Harold T. Wiley School in Watertown school
district following repeated reports by custodial staff of hearing helicopters landing on roof,
vibrations, April-August 1989, including tape of meeting with Carr engineering firm, November
1988; materials re mentor/intern program at Franklin-St. Lawrence consortium, May 18; document
prepared for AFL-CIO Lawyers' Conference, "Summary of Court Decisions in Lawsuits Challenging
Termination or Modification of Retiree Insurance Benefits," by William T. Payne, assistant
general counsel, United Steelworkers of America, May 3-4, 1989; memos re use of review books
for biology Regents exam at Watertown High School, MayJune; correspondence with teacher
Beverly Provoncha re questionable procedure by Putnam Central School Board in investigating
charges of corporal punishment against herself and two other teachers, with arbitration
summary, May; materials re Regents School Improvement and Accountability Program (RSIAP),
June; memos re protection of retirees' health insurance benefits, October

27

North Country Correspondence (2 of 2)See above

27

Rochester Regional Office CorrespondenceList of self-funded locals in the Rochester Area School Health Plan (RASH), April 21; memo
re completion of salary data report, November 16; anti-union letter sent by Kodak to
employees, December 1; fact sheet re number of uninsured New Yorkers as of November 1987; memo
to Jim Conti re participation by 13 school districts in a Municipal Cooperation Agreement for
a School Health Insurance Plan, developed without union involvement, with attached details of
plan, March 25, 1986; memos re drug-free workplace requirements, June-1989; memo re bill for
phone banks used in VOTE/COPE campaign urging NYSUT members to vote for school budget and
certain school board candidates, June 8, 1989; memo re health and safety violations in
Rochester City School District, with attached Department of Labor notice of violation at John
Marshall High School, May 15; contract analysis, Rochester Regional Office Area interim
report, November 1, 1989; report to Rochester Superintendent of Schools and Rochester Teachers
Association by the Careers in Teaching Joint Governing Panel, "Performance Appraisal Redesign
for Teachers: A Report on Initial Efforts," September 1, 1989; memo and related materials re
organizing challenge by NEA-NY to Greece Support Services Employees Association, including
constitution and rules of association, Teachers Association contract, solicitation letter from
NEA to transportation employee, October-November 1989

Rochester Regional Office Misc.: School Law SeminarNational School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys annual seminar programs;
memos to Jim Conti reporting on seminar topics

28

Southern Tier Regional Office: CorrespondenceBinghamton/Elmira. Memo to Jim Conti from NYSUT legal counsel Bernard Ashe re proposed
alcohol and drug abuse policy at Elmira school district, noting that the policy did not
comport with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988, November 13; memos re gender pay equity
issue among Endicott school-related personnel, June-July; NYSUT Legislative Bulletin re new
law restricting disclosure of HIV status, with text of law; clippings re B19 childhood viral
infection ("fifth disease"); memos re Binghamton Teachers Association settlement with school
district, providing for a salary increase formula that denied prior service credit for some
teachers, with text of tentative agreement, May-June; NYSUT Legislative Memorandum supporting
bill to include substitute employees in school districts and BOCES as "public employees," May
30; legal memorandum to Jim Conti from NYSUT legal counsel Bernard Ashe re whether school bus
drivers who handled student trips to NYC via Pennsylvania and New Jersey were exempt from the
overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, May 17; State Education Department
bulletin re school nurse responsibilities for internal medication, with related memos, May;
memos re request for medical records of teacher, up for tenure, in Deposit school district,
following short absence for illness, May; correspondence re lack of legal protections for
employees under Workers' Compensation, case of bus driver in Newark Valley Central School
District injured on the job, denied position and health coverage after unsuccessful attempts
to return to work, possible legislative remedies, 1986-1987; memo re Stipulation Joint
Employer agreement between Vestal, Binghamton, and Union-Endicott school districts and
Substitutes United in Broome (SUB), February 7; memo from president of Windsor Teachers
Association to superintendent of Windsor Central School District, expressing concern over plan
for distance learning telecommunications network that could affect teacher staffing levels in
three districts, demanding that the decision be negotiated as per PERB requirement, January
31

Suffolk Regional Office: CorrespondenceLegal complaint, Jeanette Clancy vs. Center Moriches Union Free School District Board of
Education, with cover letter from Clancy to president of NYSUT, requesting refund of two
years' dues, accusing union field representative of failure of duty of fair representation,
March 10, with exhibit, teachers contract, September 1, 1987 August 31, 1991; related
correspondence, May; memo to NYSUT counsel from field representative re nurse at Brookhaven
hospital, charged by State Education Department for two errors in patient medication during
one night shift at Southside, noting short staffing, November 15; regional reports, January 31
and October 27; document promoting value of public schools on Long Island; memo to local
presidents from regional staff director inviting them to a strategy conference with school
boards and administrators to counteract the "tax revolt" sentiment among citizen activist
groups defeating school budget proposals, September 25; memo to NYSUT legal counsel inquiring
whether there was any strong action the union could take against an anti-union (agency fee
payer) teacher in the Middle Country school district (Centereach High School) who had been
harassing the union for ten years, with attached letter from teacher to colleagues, July 7;
letter from Jim Conti to field representative granting permission to negotiate a contract for
a Jewish school as an independent activity, October 12, with earlier memo to file noting
denial of permission because of conflict of interest; confidential memo to Jim Conti re
negotiations with Suffolk County Community College and Brookhaven Hospital, June 2; memos re
3020a charges, filing problems, in Commack school district, May; letter from Jim Conti to
insurance consultant Martin E. Segal Company requesting consultation with Nassau and Suffolk
staff re self-insurance alternative to Empire Plan, February 13; confidential memo re letter
to the editor of New York Teacher from teacher in Smithtown objecting to local's attendance
incentive clause for distribution of Excellence In Teaching (EIT) funds, asserting that
formula penalized teachers who became ill or had family emergencies, February 8; memo from Jim
Conti re operational policy prohibiting attempts to organize locals already or recently
represented by an AFL-CIO union, February 10; report by New York Committee for Occupational
Safety and Health, "Industrial Hygiene Investigation of Darkrooms, Ammerman Campus and Techni
Center, Suffolk County Community College," December 19, 1988; letter from Central Islip
Teachers Association, with chronology of filing of complaint to force district to comply with
NYS Right to Know Law and federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, January 12

28

Syracuse Regional Office: CorrespondenceMemo from NYSUT legal counsel Bernard Ashe commenting on the proposed policy for the
Liverpool Central School District, noting that this was the first he'd seen that appeared as
if the writer had actually read the text of the federal Drug Free Workplace Act, November 13;
letter outlining NYSUT's responsibilities for participation in CNYCOSH (Central New York
Council on Safety & Health) conference on health and safety in the schools, December
21; related memo, November 2; memos from Jim Conti re interest by the North Syracuse Education
Association about updating the Syracuse Teachers Association document, "Policy, Procedures and
Information regarding Members Accused of Misconduct (Primarily Child Abuse) as a Result of
Employment in the Syracuse City School District," December; copy of document; newsletter of
the North Syracuse Education Association, Union Bug, n.d., c. December; memos re unsuccessful
Briarcliff School-Related Personnel (SRP) organizing election, suggestion that NYSUT develop
brochures targeted specifically to non-teaching staff, November 27; flyers and other
materials; memo re newly organized East Syracuse-Minoa Teaching Assistants Association,
December 4; newspaper clipping re approval by teachers of contract at Onondaga Community
College, Syracuse Herald-Journal, November 1; letter to OCM BOCES from computer instructor
whose request had been denied, defending his expertise, October 1; correspondence from NAACP,
soliciting contributions for march on Washington, August 4, with cover memos forwarding it up
the administration at NYSUT, August; letter to U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety
& Health Administration from NYSUT Regional Staff Director, noting that the owner of
the NYSUT office property, Widewaters Group, had addressed the problem of sewer-gas odor to
NYSUT's satisfaction, June 12; earlier related correspondence with agency and Widewaters,
April; materials re NYSUT fall regional conference of September 22-24; list of locals that had
secured a new contract in the Syracuse region for 1989-1990; draft of letter from NYSUT to
president of FNHP, Syracuse chapter (Cecelia Nabinger), noting non-payment of dues, outlining
possible consequences, including disaffiliation and action to recover funds, June 2; finalized
letter as sent to Nabinger, November 10; related memos between NYSUT officials re "problem
local," May; reply from FNHP president Nabinger, December 1, denying anything improper, with
attached lists of dues-paying members; memo to Jim Conti re possible strikes and critical
impasses anticipated for September, with reply, June; plan documents, "The Chittenango Central
School Effective Schools Process," April 5, and "Team Process Guide for Developing and
Implementing Action Plans, Chittenango Central School," March 24, with cover memo to Chuck
Santelli and Toni Cortese, April 24; draft letter to CSEA regional director re NEA victory in
organizing 70 clerical personnel in the Liverpool school district, proposing arrangement
between CSEA and NYSUT to satisfy no-raid clause in AFL-CIO constitution in order to defeat
NEA in future representation elections, March 20, with reply from Jim Conti urging further
conversation with CSEA before sending proposal, possibility for statewide arrangement, March
17; related correspondence and flyers re election, January; list of teachers' starting
salaries in Syracuse area, 1988-89; proposed amendments to the Contractual Agreement between
the Syracuse Teachers Association, Inc. and Syracuse City School District, January 1, 1988
through December 31 1991

28

Utica Regional Office: CorrespondenceAnalysis by NYSUT legal counsel of Camden school district's new drug-free workplace policy,
noting that it went far beyond what was required by new federal law, November 3, with cover
letter from Jim Conti, November 7; text of policy as adopted by Camden Board of Education,
with attached text of Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988; memo from Jim Conti to NYSUT legal
counsel re Elmira school district's new drug and alcohol abuse policy, asserting that it
violated constitutional rights, Education Law, and human dignity, October 6; memo from the
president of Herkimer County Community College to coach (?) re investigation of recruitment of
out-of-state basketball players, use of New York State addresses for Indiana students to avoid
paying out-of-state tuition and obtain financial aid, with handwritten note (by Jim Conti?) re
situation, September 7; correspondence between Jim Conti and president of the New Hartford
Teachers Association re cancer incidence at one school, June-July; correspondence re proposed
state legislation that would tax the pensions of public employees, newsletter from member of
Congress citing related Supreme Court ruling David v. Michigan Department of Treasury, May;
newspaper clippings and correspondence re investigation of student cancer cluster at West
Canada Valley school district, Herkimer County, relation to hazardous waste sites,
March-April; memos re calculation (or not) of upper Mohawk Valley and central region BOCES
salary medians for awarding of Excellence in Teaching funds, January-March

28

United University Professions: CorrespondenceLetter to research department of UUP, and attachments, re gender pay equity study being
conducted for the newly affiliated, 100%-female Office Personnel Association of the
Union-Endicott School District, other SRP units with similar gender predominance, basis for
wage proposal, November 2; letter from UUP director to Jim Conti, asking for vote to give UUP
a board seat on the National Committee on Pay Equity, October 12; list of upcoming staff
meetings and events, with attached memos re potential attendance by Tom Hobart, September

28

Organizing CorrespondenceMemo to Jim Conti and other NYSUT officials re affiliations since 9/1/87, discussing
difficulty of organizing larger units from a time resource perspective, need for organizing
teams instead of regional office field staff, with attached list of locals, membership counts,
and staff involvement, November 20, 1989; confidential notes of AFT advanced organizing
seminar for community colleges, December 21; seminar program and related materials, including
faculty questionnaire developed for California community college system and guide for
designing an attitude survey; letter from NYSUT director of organizing re contacts at Hudson
Valley Community College, October 30; memo to Jim Conti re dues rebate under union shop
clauses, with attached memorandum from the Office of General Counsel of the National Labor
Relations Board (NLRB), October 11; cover memo to organizers re attached text of district
court's permanent injunction barring NLRB from implementing its health bargaining unit rule re
American Hospital Association (AHA), August 7; related memo, May 25; mock- up of The Nurses
Reporter, with cover memo to Jim Conti, May 17; memo to Conti re proposal by retired newspaper
reporter and widower of a nurse with many contacts in the NYC municipal hospital system,
referred by Westchester ALF-CIO Council, to start a pro-union newspaper for nurses, request
for funding, May 9; list of colleges and universities with collective-bargaining agents in
1988, from the Chronicle of Higher Education, July 12; memo to Jim Conti re conversation with
a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association who wanted NYSUT to form a
bargaining unit for strength and conditioning coaches, noting futility of the idea, July 6;
letter from director of organizing re contact at Winthrop Hospital, June 28; clippings from
Labor Relations Week; memo suggesting years' free dues as inducement for successful referral
of new members, May 31; letter from NLRB declining review of charge of violation re Regents
College Degrees and Examinations because it was determined that the entity was not an
employer, May 26; article reporting advice of consultant to hospital administrators re keeping
unions out (annual meeting of New England Health Care Assembly), with hand-written annotations
and cover note to Jim Conti, April 24; article form Union Labor Report re study of 187
organizers from eight unions, concluding that low self esteem, low trust of others are
characteristics of the most successful organizers; budget request for 1989-1990; newsletter of
the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the
Professions, published at Baruch College, re unionization among college faculty in 1989,
January/February 1989; publication by labor lawyer, "The Supervisor's Handbook on Maintaining
Non-Union Status," 1974; pro-union document by labor lawyer, "Government Intermedding
Undercutting Union Autonomy: The Labor Lawyer's Challenge," n.d.; text of proposed Assembly
bill providing higher reimbursement to hospitals for personnel costs, with cover memo from Jim
Conti asking whether NYSUT should support it, March 7; letter from dean of the School of
Public Health, New York State Department of Health, re first course in capital district on
AIDS transmission for health care workers and emergency responders, February 7; article from
Labor Relations Week noting fierce competition among three AFL-CIO unions to organize health
care workers, with cover memo from Jim Conti re potential self-defeating consequences,
February 17; memos requesting more information about the LaSalle School, for potential
organizing efforts, with attached letter of inquiry from director of curriculum development re
public school salaries, February; paper by Henry S. Farber, Department of Economics, MIT,
"Trends in Worker Demand for Union Representation," December 1988; memo re proposed policy on
organizing minimums for size of unit, December 7, 1988, with cover memo proposing meeting,
February 9, 1989; press release re training on AIDS for health care workers and first
responders, January 16, with seminar announcement; announcement for conference on union
representatives in the health-care industry, March 6-7; memo re federal modification in the
definition of "reasonable assurance" of continued employment for substitute teachers, need for
state legislation to assure coverage of substitutes as public employees under the Taylor Law,
impact on organizing potential, January 19; memo to organizers and regional staff directors
instructing them to discard all copies of leaflet "Why Pay More for Less" because of an error,
plans for reprinting a corrected version, January 12; memo re delivery of authorization cards
and other materials to nurses at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, January 26; letter to
National Education Association (NEA) Board of Directors from NEA president Mary Hatwood
Futrell recommending moratorium on raiding AFSME, SEIU, and IUOE locals, December 1987; letter
to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals asking for
contracts to review language for a resource file, related memos, October

28

Organizing Misc.Newsletters of the Division of Field Services, Organizing Bulletin

28

Regional Staff Director Memos (1 of 2)January-June, 1988. Memo from Jim Conti to regional staff directors asking for participation
in pay equity training session, June 14; Empire Plan Quarterly Experience Report, January
March, 1988, produced for participating agencies in the New York State Health Insurance Plan
by Division of Employee Benefits, New York State Department of Civil Service, with cover memo
from Jim Conti, June 13; memo requesting teacher participation in facilitator training to
assist locals in implementing shared decision making process, June 13; statewide listing of
dues paid by locals, ranked by size of local and by amount of dues paid, May 13; listing of
State Education Department's estimate of Excellence in Teaching funds for each of the state's
41 BOCES, May 13; memo re unofficial approval of safety and health grant request of $60,000
for 1988-89, plans for training, May 12; memo from NYSUT counsel James Sandner to NYSUT
officers summarizing U.S. Supreme Court decision in Regents of the University of California v.
Public Employment Relations Board, et al., re union use of employer internal mail system, May
12; explanation of IRS interpretation of Tax Reform Act of 1986, May 9; paper by PERB, "The
Taylor Law: Procedures for Labor & Management," re recent PERB and Administrative Law
Judge decisions and court cases, April 12; Tentative CSEA Agreement 1988-91; memo with
attached satirical article on the limitations of management training, summary of U.S. Supreme
Court decision on union use of employer internal mail system, May 2; teacher salary schedule
average increases, 1986-87 and 1987-88, April 20; State Education Department memo re planning
for grant applications for teacher mentor- internships and related materials, March-April;
letter from director of state Department of Labor Division of Safety and Health, requesting
identification of any hazardous work sites, March; memos re PERB mediation/arbitration
program, with attached guidelines for pilot project, February; emergency extension of
application deadline for Excellence in Teaching funds, from the State Education Department,
January 6; New York Times clipping re labor situation in England, with cover memo that the
U.K. might be setting the trend for the U.S., February 18; memo re rule for school districts
that did not make timely application for EIT money, February 17; press release from State
Education Department that Regents voted to require home-schooled students to take the same
Pupil Evaluation Program (PEP) tests and Regents Preliminary Competency tests that students in
school are required to take, extension of EIT application deadline, January 20; unemployment
insurance decision re refusal of employment without just cause, appealed based on
substantially lower salary offer, with cover memo, January 28; policies adopted by the Erie
County BOCES and sold to BOCES districts around the state, and policy adopted by the
Williamson Central School District; January 20 ; memo re AIDS operational policy, with
attached NYSUT Position Paper on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS); chapter excerpt,
"Unionism and Licensing of Public School Teachers: Impact on Wages and Educational Output," by
Morris M. Kleiner and Daniel L. Petree, of book When Public Sector Workers Unionize, edited by
Richard B. Freeman and Casey Ichniowski (University of Chicago Press), 1988; several issues of
NEA-NY Advocate newsletter, April, June, and summer 1988, with cover note from Jim Conti to
NYSUT officers and regional staff directors; newsletter of the Buffalo Teachers Federation,
Provocator 6/88, volume 18, number 6; Commissioner's order staying the West Seneca school
district from proceeding on determining a 3020a case without a hearing because the teacher
filed just beyond the deadline to request such a hearing, June 14, 1988; CSEA/AFSME health
insurance handbook supplement, describing alternatives to Empire Plan, April 19; article from
Labor Studies Journal, "Union Membership Decline: Do the Goals of Unions Reflect the Changing
Values of Workers?" by Jeanette A. Davy and Frank Shipper, Winter 1987-88; paper presented on
April 12 and April 30, "The Taylor Law: Procedures Update for Labor & Management," re
recent PERB and ALJ decisions and court cases; list of private schools educating children with
handicapping conditions in New York, with cover letter, March 30; PERB administrative law
judge decision in three cases against Rush-Henrietta Central School district, brought by
Rush-Henrietta Employees' Association Buildings and Grounds, Bus Mechanics Chapter, Teachers
Chapter, and Aides Chapter, over smoking ban, February 9; New York Times magazine clipping re
end of seven-year AFL-CIO boycott of Coors beer; Bureau of National Affairs Daily Labor Report
clippings; clippings re Empire Plan rate hikes; guidelines for eligibility for NYSUT Legal
Defense Fund

28

Regional Staff Director Memos (2 of 2)July-December, 1988. NYS Court of Appeals ruling affirming the judgment of the Appellate
Division in CSEA v PERB and Luis Diaz, December 1; memo from Robert Diaz announcing that
Excellence in Teaching (EIT) funds were available for distribution, December 14; NYSUT
Executive Committee resolutions on public higher education in New York State, and on New
York's fiscal crisis, December 2; survey of BOCES bargaining units to determine whether any
employees are not represented by unit, December 8; materials re NYSUT support for creation of
a NYS School Construction Authority, temporary exemption from Wicks Law, including legislative
memorandum, New York Times clipping re political history of Wicks Law, list of state senators,
December 7; state Supreme Court decision in Schneider v. Sobol, with cover memo re EIT funds,
December 6; related memo, October 14; letter from NYS AFC-CIO re new Social Security rules
that would make it more difficult for elderly and disabled claimants to file successful
appeals after denial of benefits, with cover memo from Jim Conti and attached New York Times
clipping, September-November; memo from Jim Conti re AFT education reform initiative, with
list of prospective locals, November 11; letter from NYSUT president Tom Hobart to local
presidents re anticipated changes in premiums to Empire Plan, with cover letter from Jim
Conti, October 19; documents, cost-containment strategies available to participating agencies;
letter from Tom Hobart re extension of Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA),
requiring asbestos management plans for public and private elementary and secondary schools,
October 14; NYSUT Information Bulletin re NYS Mentor-Teacher Internship Program, revised
August 1988; audit by the State Comptroller of the Empire Plan, with cover press release,
September 28; memo re new Empire Plan benefit options, September 26; memo re annual salaries
or stipends paid to NYSUT local presidents, school year 1987-88, September 12; median
classroom teacher salaries, 1987-88; memo noting decrease in school district contribution to
the New York State Teachers Retirement System, with attached NYSTRS administrative memo
detailing reduction, August 9; Empire Plan contribution rates for participating agencies,
August 9; results of Brookhaven Hospital election, showing win by NYSUT, August 8; Department
of Civil Service Empire Plan quarterly experience report, August 5; materials re new PERB
grievance resolution plan combining mediation and arbitration; analysis by NYSUT legal counsel
re U.S. Supreme Court decision in CWA v Beck re agency fees, with text of brief, July 1

28

Training CorrespondenceSurvey with list of 27 possible training topics, request for selection of top 7, May 1;
handwritten notes on education reform

29

Albany Regional Office: CorrespondenceProposal for EIT fund distribution, November 19; memo re need for legislative change in
Taylor Law re per diem substitute employees, December 1; PERB administrative law judge
decision in Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES and Wayne-Finder Lakes BOCES Teachers' Association, with
cover memo recommending case for use in workshop, October 29; memo re case at Ravena Coeymans
Selkirk Teachers Association in which a teacher refused to join the union based on religious
objection and requested a review of the agency fee policy, with clipping from Adventist Review
and text of Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, September 30; memo re staff training for
investigatory interviews, September 23; new required form, Written Verified Claim, replacing
Notice of Claim, and cover memos between Jim Conti and NYSUT legal counsel, July; North
Colonie Teachers Association newsletter, NCTA Newsline, praising NYSUT staff, with cover memo
to Jim Conti and others, June 10; memo requesting staff assistance to organize a regional
substitutes' union for the southern Adirondack region, May 19; request for NYSUT staff support
at rally for Waterford-Halfmoon contract settlement, April 16; memo to Jim Conti re substitute
teacher organizing campaign for Washington, Warren, and Northern Saratoga counties, April 14;
request for attorney to participate on panel discussion re 3020a cases for Guilderland
Supervisors Unit, March 3; draft letter re voluntary services, proposed in response to
controversy at Guilderland district in which work-to-rule action led to charges of illegal
strike, with response from Jim Conti, advising against it, February

Dutchess County Community College MeetingDecember 10th, 1986. Letter from president of Dutchess United Educators re difficulty in
obtaining access to research and legal assistance from NYSUT, December 2; letter from regional
coordinator to NYSUT officials re upcoming meeting with Dutchess United Educators to discuss
reconsideration of affiliation, with attached October 31 letter from DUE president outlining
concerns, December 2; correspondence re abrupt dismissal of adjunct lecturer at Dutchess
County Community College, attached employment agreement, February

29

Elmsford Regional Office CorrespondenceCorrespondence with member John McAndrew of Port Jervis Teachers Association, re NYSUT
involvement during discussion over contractual matters, PERB conclusion that union was not
responsible for "sick out," October-December; agreement between Orange-Ulster BOCES and BOCES
Teachers Association re distribution of Excellence in Teaching funds, November 7; evaluations
re mediation conference, letter from presenter Eric W. Lawson Dispute Settlement Services,
December 16; report by filed representative on Rockland Community College Federation of
Teachers elections, political and personality difficulties, charges of financial malfeasance,
agency fee issues, request to be removed from assignment, December 15; memo to Jim Conti re
Orange County Community College organizing, October 28; summary of case in New York Law
Journal re libel complaint in Peekskill public school district, October; text of Assembly bill
to allow faculty representation on community college boards of trustees, with NYSUT memo of
opposition and related correspondence, October; constitution of the Westchester Visiting
Nurses Association; American Arbitration Association opinion and award re Croton-Harmon Union
Free School District and Croton-Harmon Teachers Association (NYSUT) re association dues; memo
re regional office situation re inadequate electrical wiring and ventilation, plan to obtain
cost estimates to alleviate problems, October 6; list of local presidents, 1986-87, August 22;
memo re Insurance Department regulation of self-funded health insurance plans and union
welfare funds, September-December; memo from Jim Conti re new position of teacher associate at
North Salem School District, with nearly identical duties as full teachers, concern that
district might reduce regular teaching staff and rehire them as associates, April 23; case in
Supreme Court of Suffolk County, Faculty Association of Suffolk Community College v. Public
Employment Relations Board, re salary increment, found moot, with cover memo from Jim Conti
noting intention to appeal, March 4; letter from a teacher who lost health insurance coverage
during the summer as a result of changing school districts, February 26; flyer for national
AFL-CIO conference on PCB hazards for public employees; correspondence with Farmingdale
Federation of Teachers re lack of participation by NYSUT in negotiations for Empire Plan,
February; letter to NYSUT executive vice president Dan Sanders re situation at Byram Hills
Teachers Association re impact of billing procedures by the state Insurance Department on the
local's welfare funds, January 3; list of local presidents, 1984-85

Jamestown Regional Office: CorrespondenceLetter to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from president of Fredonia Teachers' Association,
objecting to policy that non-members cannot attend presentations by NYSUT lawyers, October 10;
earlier correspondence, September; letter to Hobart from president of Cassadaga Valley Faculty
Association, objecting to lack of service from new Jamestown office, October 7; reply from
Hobart, October 22; correspondence re unemployment insurance appeal in case of teacher at
Silver Creek district, October

29

Mid: Hudson Regional Office-CorrespondencePress statement by NYSUT president Hobart re need for legislation addressing aid to small
school districts, December 10; correspondence re dissatisfaction with NYSUT at Dutchess County
Community College (Dutchess United Educators), October; text of address delivered to the first
annual school conference of the Capital Area School Development Association, "Alcohol and Drug
Abuse in the Schools," by Melvin H. Osterman, Jr., July 24, with cover letter from Jim Conti
to regional staff directors; memos re training sessions, summer leadership conference, and
speaking engagements; memo re proposed reassignment of Greene/Columbia locals from Mid-Hudson
to Albany Regional Office, May 2; letter from Hobart to president of the Ichabod Crane
Teachers Association, congratulating local for success in electing three candidates for school
board by wide margins, June 23; memos re Rhinebeck Lodge for Successful Living, a drug
detoxification / rehabilitation facility seeking union representation, January-February 1985;
Mid-Hudson Regional Office 1986-87 membership projections, May 12; collective bargaining
agreement by and between Board of Education of the Wappingers Central School District and
Wappingers Federation of Transit, Custodial, and Maintenance Workers, July 1, 1983, to June
30, 1986; unemployment insurance decision by administrative law judge re teacher at Cairo
Durham Central School, issue of reasonable assurance of employment, with cover memo, April 16;
regional office request for staff, January 24; summary of AFT assignment to Houston, Texas,
February 3; letter from Jim Conti to Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, administrator of the
Empire Plan, re concerns about lack of participation by physicians due to low reimbursement
rates, with attached letters from Arlington Teachers' Association and Fishkill Obstetrics and
Gynecology, detailing far-below customary market reimbursement rates provided by plan for
various procedures, March; request for legal consultation for teacher at Ellenville district
re whether he should request a 3020a hearing or pursue his case under procedure outlined in
the collective bargaining agreement, March 18; resume of applicant for field services
representative, February; letter from consultant Martin E. Segal Company re reviewing local
benefit plans and trust funds, November 7; memo re staff training needs re negotiation,
improper practice filing, February 4; Mid-Hudson School Bell newsletters

Nassau Regional Office: CorrespondenceLetter offering job as field representative to applicant, December 23, 1986; C.B. Bulletin,
newsletter of Nassau regional office, with article summarizing report of the Joint Economic
Committee, which defined "rich" in America as households with an average wealth of $419,600,
"very rich" as averaging $1.7 million, and "super rich" as $8.6 million, October 1986; C.B
Bulletin showing identical retail prices to consumers for shirts made in U.S., Taiwan, Guyana,
and Columbia, the differences in labor costs affecting profit margins of retailers; other C.B.
newsletters; clipping from NEA Today, about an industrial arts teacher who fought for years
against environmental hazards in his Baldwin school, developed malignant melanoma, was turned
down by NYSUT for representation, then was represented by NEA, December 1986; memo to NYSUT
counsel advising that BOCES II Teachers Association had requested that NYSUT withdraw its
appeal of the Teacher Aides in Occupational Education Classes case, following resolution of
outstanding issues, October 27, 1986; request for legal consultation for teacher at Lynbrook
school district facing complaint from parent over final grade and student's behavior on school
trip, September 2, 1986; memo re breach of contract case following rejection of an advisory
arbitration award in Hempstead, applicability to other locals, August 15, 1985; memo from Jim
Conti re provisions of the Empire Plan re mental health coverage, three-month prescription
purchase, definition of medical necessity, need to obtain booklets re benefits for members,
feasibility of NYSUT's setting up a private plan for members, May 6, 1986; correspondence re
possible NYSUT assistance in litigation by teacher in Great Neck who was pursuing a
sex-discrimination case against the New York State Teachers Retirement System at her own
expense, implications for retiree organizing, NEA competition, October 1985; memo re Nassau
staff meeting and concern over resolution re 3020a proceedings, April 21, 1986; memos re
teacher laid off in Farmingdale district, returned to teach part-time outside tenure area,
resigned, determination that no rights were violated, April 1986; request for upgrade for
secretaries in Nassau office, consistent with increased workload and skill requirements,
November 13, 1985

NYC Regional Office: CorrespondenceMemo re contract settlement at Taylor Business Institute, Pratt Institute, and Lexington,
July 8; memo to Jim Conti requesting full-time health and safety expert on staff, May 2, with
reply denying request, May 5; handwritten letter from professor of public administration who
could not return to Medgar Evers College, with attached timeline re racial harassment, "Key
Points in MEC Discrimination," April 7; report by field representative for Federation of
Nurses and Health Professionals re NYSNA convention of October 18-21, 1985, acknowledgement
from Jim Conti, April 17; memo that United Staff Association of NYU had set a strike date,
with handwritten note that settlement had been reached, January 7; U.S. Supreme Court Brief
for the Cooper Union Federation of College Teachers, AFT, NYSUT, AFL-CIO, in Opposition, The
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art v. National Labor Relations Board and
Cooper Union Federation of College Teachers, AFT, NYSUT, AFL-CIO

29

NYC Regional Office: Tony Ficcio, Coordinator's ReportsOpinion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, National Labor Relations Board
v. Parsons School of Design, denying petition to enforce order requiring bargaining with
part-time faculty, with cover report, June 24; other monthly reports re contract negotiations,
organizing efforts

29

North Country Regional Office: CorrespondenceMemo to Jim Conti re problems with PERB-assigned mediator/fact- finders at Chenango Valley
and Haverling school districts, bias toward management, November 26; list of changes to
contract agreement re layoffs, with cover memo to Jim Conti noting violations of seniority,
preferred eligibility rules, in Massena, November 20; order and determination of Commissioner
of Labor in the matter of the application of North Franklin Education Center for a permanent
variance from safety regulation, approved with conditions, November 24; memo from Jim Conti to
NYSUT counsel asking that NYSUT challenge decision by NYS Department of Motor Vehicles
requiring fingerprinting of all school bus drivers, with background correspondence, October;
memo from regional staff director to NYSUT general counsel re planned conference at Alexandria
Bay in November, alternative meeting in the spring in Potsdam, October 21; memo re proposed
office in Watertown, October 6; memos re difficulties in doing phone banks at centralized
locations for political election campaigns, alternatives, October; memo to Jim Conti
complaining of quality of PERB-appointed mediator/fact finder in Lowville district, with
attached materials including report and recommendation of fact-finder, September; memo to Jim
Conti re problems with PERB-assigned mediator/fact-finders from Utica and Albany, need for
PERB to provide competent staff to North Country assignments, with attached "terrible" reports
and recommendations of fact-finders for the St. Regis and Chateaugay districts, June 3;
correspondence between NYSUT president Tom Hobart and the president of the Schroon Lake
Teachers Association re good work of field representative in arbitration case and over the
years, May-June; open house invitation to new Potsdam Regional Office, May 16; list of CSEA
units in Essex and Clinton counties, April 23; letter demanding that agency fee charges no
longer be taken from non-union teachers in the Watertown school district until certain
conditions are met, March 15, with cover memo; request for legal advice re liability of Beaver
River Teachers Association for functions at which alcohol is served, March 12, with related
memos; memo to Jim Conti re serious situation developing in Massena Central School following
the suicide of one suspended student, controversy over discipline policies, February 23, with
newspaper clippings; correspondence re Eunice Jantzi, special education teacher at
Jefferson-Lewis BOCES, suspended for failure to supervise and prevent sexual activity between
students, January-May

Organizing CorrespondenceDebriefing memo analyzing the unsuccessful UHS (United Health Services hospitals) campaign,
December 19; leaflets and radio scripts for AFT clerical campaign, December 19; organizing
bulletins; memo suggesting special services for organizing committees, inducements for
potential members, December 10; letter to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from assistant director
of organizing for Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, asking him to identify locals
with members in health-related occupations not currently in FNHP, November 21; letter to Jim
Conti from managing editor of FNHP Healthwire, asking to be put on NYSUT newsletter mailing
list, October 29; draft article by NYSUT organizing coordinator John O'Leary re differences
between union certification and recognition, with cover memo seeking comments from organizers,
October 31; memo re employer tactics, emphasizing threat of strikes, in lead-up to
representation election at United Health Services, November 11; outline for Local Presidents'
Handbook, with request from Jim Conti to John O'Leary that he write section on organizing,
November 10; letters from Jim Conti to organizers and field representatives, congratulating
them on win or encouraging them on defeats, September-October; memo from John O'Leary re the
best use of organizing dollars, July 15; memo re actions of PERB administrative law judge,
called unprofessional and prejudicial by John O'Leary, at certification petition conference by
NEANY for Edwards Russell Central School District, June 23; memo listing representation
election results at various schools, June 27; NYSUT Statement of Intent for Organizing
Registered Nurses; summary of remarks of ILGWU presentation on use of polling in organizing
campaigns at 1986 Midwest healthcare organizers conference, noting extreme aversion to
prospect of strikes among nurses; articles from Scientific American, re tendency of voters to
vote for challenger in presidential elections if they perceive their economic status as having
deteriorated, and New York Times, re deterioration of real income among Americans, with cover
memo to organizers re implications for receptivity to unionizing among middle class workers,
July 14; brochure prepared for Benedictine organizing campaign, "What's In It for You?
Straight Answers to Common Questions about FNHP/NYSUT"; four-page memo to Jim Conti from John
O'Leary re organizing budget, October 2, 1985; six-page memo from O'Leary, "Organizing
Effectiveness, Preliminary Report," June 23, 1986; memo from Tom Hobart to NYSUT Board of
Directors re results of elections involving AFT in Broward County, Florida, June 12; memo re
contingency plans to remain open during previously scheduled vacation shutdown to accommodate
organizing campaigns in Binghamton and Kingston, May 23; memo urging support for legislation
in Assembly that would prohibit health-care agencies from being reimbursed for representation
election expenses, making it less likely that facilities would pay for anti-union consultants,
June; memo updating on feasibility of organizing Visiting Nurse Service ancillary staff for
the UFT, May 12; memo from O'Leary detailing the organizing operation, noting long-term nature
of cultivating leads, need for flexibility, May 12; memo re budget appropriation for special
organizing projects, calling dramatic reduction a penalty for prudent management the year
before and a disincentive to spending restraint, May 2; memo, "Why the Organizing Staff Should
Not Be Reduced," April 21; notice to NYSUT from the National Labor Relations Board that a
petition for certification of representation election at the Champlain Valley Physicians
Hospital had been filed by the Teamsters, April 28, with attached documents; memo re Entry
into Practice bill, held up in committee, which would require a BA degree for Registered
Nurses and an AAS degree for associate nurses and eliminate the designation Licensed Practical
Nurse (LPN), with committee bill memorandum, listing groups in support and opposition, points
of argument in support and opposition, May 30; memo from Jim Conti requesting any information
about pending legislation in the health-care area, speaker for meeting of Federation of Nurses
& Health-Related Professionals (FNHP), April 25; memo from O'Leary recommending
changes to PERB rules for certification of representation election, submitted in response to
request for comments by PERB, April; memo to organizers from O'Leary re Supreme Court decision
overturning NLRB rule requiring all employees in a bargaining unit to vote on affiliation of
an independent union with a national or international union, cautioning that other rules must
be followed carefully, April 14; inquiry from O'Leary as to whether there was any pending
legislation to amend law dealing with patients' rights or reporting patient abuse, April 8;
copy of NEA-NY Advocate, with cover memo to O'Leary from Jim Conti suggesting he read it
before attending their convention, March; memo to organizers re generating computerized
contact cards, March 4; memo to O'Leary re computerized filing system, January 14; memo from
O'Leary re college organizing, recommending that National Labor Relations Act be amended to
give NLRB jurisdiction over college faculty, with cover memo from Jim Conti asking whether AFT
was planning to propose amendments, March; memo from O'Leary suggesting proposing legislation
clarifying process for mergers, consolidations, and annexations of school districts,
especially BOCES districts, November 25, 1985, with reply from Jim Conti, March 27, 1986;
Schenectady Gazette newspaper clipping re deputy executive director of President's Commission
on Organized Crime, which was recommending random drug tests for federal employees, who
refused the request of the chair of a House Civil Service subcommittee to give a sample of his
own urine before testifying, March 19, 1986; Report by AFL-CIO Committee on the Evolution of
Work on the Changing Situation of Workers and Their Unions, February 27, 1985, with cover memo
to organizers and discussion guide for local unions; memo from O'Leary recommending NYSUT
associate membership, March 3; State Education Department Public School Professional Personnel
Report, 1984-1985; letter to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from president of United Professional
Nurses Association (UPNA), expressing regret that they were unable to achieve a working
relationship, February 25; letter from O'Leary to president of UPNA, informing her that
Federation of Nurses and Health-Related Professionals would likely become NYSUT's Division of
Nursing, February 5; list of organizing successes since November 1985 through January 3, 1986;
list of new units organized in 1985, November 14; memo outlining procedures for returning
calls that come in to the 800 number for organizing, November 17, 1985; memo to O'Leary from
NYSUT public relations director re organizing marking campaign for nurses, with attached
materials, January 6, 1985

29

Organizing: John O'Leary, Coordinator's ReportsMonthly reports

29

Rochester Regional Office: CorrespondenceMemo to New York State Teachers' Retirement System from the Rush- Henrietta Employee
Association Teachers' Chapter Executive Council, objecting to non-inclusion of Excellence In
Teaching (EIT) funds in calculation of salary toward retirement, December 17; memo re EIT
settlements at Spencerport and Marion districts, November 26; survey sent to school-related
personnel (SRP) locals to determine gender distribution, full- and part-time status, and other
characteristics of work force, with cover memo noting complexity of questions, other issues,
October; memos re PERB administrative law judge decisions re subcontracting of summer school
teachers and programs to BOCES, with attached decisions re Monroe County school districts
(Webster, East Irondequoit, and West Irondequoit), December; memos re legality of public
employees' contributing to a self-funded health plan, October-November; East Irondequoit
Excellence In Teaching agreement, with cover memo, October 24; memo from Jim Conti re
consideration of sexual preference in 3020a cases, noting absence of state law prohibiting
discrimination, lack of clarity as to whether homosexuality per se constitutes "moral
turpitude," concluding that in a school setting "they are going to be held to a much higher
standard of moral conduct," October 1; list of school districts that had not yet applied for
Excellence In Teaching funds, September 17; PERB decision in Williamson Central School
District and Williamson Faculty Association re salary schedule, July 29; memo from NYS
Teachers Retirement System re employer contribution rates to be paid during the 1987-88 school
year, with cover memo from Jim Conti to regional staff directors, May 22; letter from NYS
Department of Motor Vehicles re payment of fee for fingerprinting of school bus drivers,
October 24; letter from Jim Conti to Tom Hobart recalling defection of Rochester and Vestal
Regional Offices to NEA in 1976, actions Conti took to maintain continuity of service to
locals, April 24; memo re computer certification questions at Webster school district, April
2; memo re selection of arbitration as alternative to 3020a proceeding, March 21; revised
draft, Rochester Teachers Association Peer Assistance and Review Program, with attached
newspaper clippings; flyer Rochester Regional Report, "State Budget Includes $95 million for
Excellence In Teaching Program!"

South Western (Jamestown) Regional Office NewsletterVolume 1, number 1

29

Southern Tier Regional Office: CorrespondenceInquiry by Jim Conti as to whether NYSUT was proposing legislation to address worker's
compensation, citing the case of a Newark Valley Central School District bus driver who was
out on disability on a work-related injury and could legally lose her job and health
insurance, December; memo to Jim Conti recommending breach of contract suit on behalf of the
Chenango Forks Teachers Association for violating settlement agreement, negotiated in lieu of
an Improper Practice Charge, for assigning too much work to a teacher, December 9; materials
re legality of self-funded health plans, including case of Rockland Community College, April;
letter congratulating field representative on successful contract for Watkins Glen Faculty
Association, noting benefits and protections not often found in the Southern Tier, November 3;
memos requesting legal opinion of certain wording on taxable income deferments form required
of teachers to sign at Endicott school district, September-November; letter from state senator
and deputy majority leader William T. Smith to president of Elmira Teachers Association,
explaining why he opposed Excellence In Teaching program, September 18; handwritten drafts,
"You Are Being Cheated," for mailing to teachers in Oneonta, September 11; letter to president
of Corning Teachers Association from NYSUT staff in Division of Research and Educational
Services, advising on design of a questionnaire evaluating teacher satisfaction with building
administrators, September 5; application for affiliation with NYSUT from George Junior
Republic Teachers Organization, August; questionnaire by Corning Teachers Association to
evaluate building administrators, July 2; memo to Jim Conti re miscellaneous concerns re PERB,
including decision in Charlotte Valley Teachers Association case, difficulties with improper
practice conferences and hearings, February 21; recommendation for a 3020a hearing panel
member, June 30; five-page memo from regional office coordinator Chuck Rogers, analyzing the
disaffiliation of the Greene Teachers Association, May 29; six-page memo from field rep to
Chuck Rogers, analyzing the disaffiliation of the Greene Teachers Association, May 29; list of
school districts where increases in state aid were used to lower local taxes, versus where aid
resulted in increases for teachers, September 13; memo to Jim Conti discussing the results of
increase in state on school district taxes, budgets, and salaries, concluding that not much
had changed for contract negotiations, August 23; several related memos to Jim Conti, with
specific examples of impact on districts; memo re inadequacy of PERB procedures for adding
long-term substitutes or part-time teachers, February 22; related memo re accretion, March 21;
confidential memo from Jim Conti re scheduling PERB prehearing conference for Charlotte Valley
case, May 13; letter to Jim Conti re inconvenience and expense of PERB's increasing tendency
to schedule hearings and meetings in Albany instead of Binghamton, April 29; related material;
repeat request to NYSUT president Hobart by Corning Teachers Association that NYSUT Executive
Board assign the local to the district (E.D. 11) with which it had regular contact and was
closer to geographically, April 18; memo from Jim Conti re "Neanderthal" goals of Owego
Apalachin Central School District, suggesting that State Education Department be informed,
April 25; chart comparing provisions of the tiers of the NYS Employee Retirement System; memo
to Jim Conti criticizing PERB mediator/fact-finder, dissatisfaction by both parties, urging
that PERB be advised and requested not to assign the mediator again to any NYSUT case in the
Southern Tier, February 3; memo to Jim Conti re inordinate number of respiratory and cancer
cases at Rushford school, need for asbestos removal, January 21; confidential memo and related
documents re teacher at Greene Central School, February 28; request from Jim Conti to NYSUT
legal counsel to have a staff attorney address Chenango Valley Teachers Association re teacher
liability in the classroom and school-related situations, February 20; copy of General
Municipal Law section 92 re vacations, sick leaves and leaves of absence of officers and
employees, including opinions of the state comptroller

Suffolk Regional Office: CorrespondenceMemo from field representative to NYSUT legal counsel requesting action to regain two days'
salary docked from teachers at Cold Spring Harbor after the district superintendent declared
that a strike had taken place, November 13; letters from locals thanking NYSUT staff for their
help in averting strikes, other assistance; special order resolution by Representative
Assembly recommending that AFT give financial assistance to Patchogue-Medford Congress of
Teachers to offset costs associated with challenging drug testing, n.d.; memo to Jim Conti re
Patchogue drug testing case, appealed to state Court of Appeals, possible federal involvement,
August 28; letter to NYSUT official Ray Calabrese from Amityville Teachers Association
president, thanking him for selecting the school's Talented and Gifted Program for Cablevision
show, noting bad press for low reading and math scores, May 23; text of governor's proposed
legislation re salary supplement, March 19

29

Suffolk Regional Office: John DeGregorio, Coordinator's
ReportsRegional reports; papers, "AIDS: A Question of Human Rights vs the Duty to Provide a Safe
Work Place," by Marco L. Colosi, vice president, human resources, and Fred Silverman,
president, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, "Selected Current Developments under the National
Labor Relations Act," by Irving Perlman, Immerman & Perlman, presented to the 6th
Annual Winter Training Conference on Labor Management Relations, February 13-20, and "The
Effect of the National Labor Relations Board on the Health Care Industry," by Marco L.
Colosi

29

Syracuse Regional Office: CorrespondenceSyracuse Teachers Association Policy, Procedures and Information Regarding Members Accused
of Misconduct (Primarily Child Abuse) as a Result of Employment in the Syracuse City School
District; 20-page memo from Jim Conti debriefing Benjamin-Rush Center (psychiatric hospital
facility) strike, November 17; United Liverpool Faculty Association newsletter, December; NLRB
Charge against Employer against Benjamin Rush Center; appeal for holiday support for 12
employees fired during strike; agenda for meeting re strike, November 3; flyers re strike;
memo from regional director to president of Benjamin Rush Employees United re crisis
reimbursement plan related to strike, September 26; memos re eligibility of school nurses for
Excellence In Teaching funds, September-October; list of teachers' starting salaries in
Syracuse regional area, 1986-87; memos requesting legal assistance for unemployment insurance
case at Port Byron School District, with attached decisions from NYS Unemployment Insurance
Division, related correspondence re provisional teaching certificate, July-September; document
by NYSUT regional staff director Frank Squillace, "Teacher Salaries and the Excellence in
Teaching Law," August 1986; memo re absorption of Cortland-Madison BOCES school-related
personnel (SRP) unit into new Cortland-Onondaga-Madison BOCES Organization (COMBO), July 15;
memo re AFT liability insurance programs, May 13; related brochures and legal citations; NYS
Department of Labor Notice of Variance Hearing on July 11 for Cazenovia Central School
District, copied to Jim Conti and others; "raiding" letter from NEA-NY to teacher at Oswego
County BOCES, with cover memo to Jim Conti noting that letter was being sent to CSEA locals,
May 23; letter re field representative assignments to certain BOCES locals, April 29; memo to
Jim Conti re inquiry from Onondaga-Madison BOCES Federation of Teachers re Public Health Law
and related issues in which a school nurse might send students and teachers home because of a
contagious illness at school, with attached excerpt from state Education Law, March 31; memos
from Jim Conti to legal staff inquiring as to whether authorization forms allowing release of
any confidential legal (including attorney-client privileged), medical (including
psychiatric), financial, or other information, which prospective employees must sign, violated
any federal or state civil rights regulations, with attached copy of release form used by
Auburn Enlarged City School District, March-April; list of organization and representation
status of school-related personnel in Syracuse regional area districts, January 10; memos re
field representative assignment to Madison Central School Non-Instructional Employees
Association (MCSNEIA), February

West NY Regional Office: CorrespondenceOutline of field services section for annual report for the Representative Assembly, with
cover letter from Jim Conti re writing section for local presidents' handbook, November 10;
newsletter of BOCES II Education Association, Cross Ventilation, October; briefs, award, and
related correspondence in arbitration case, Matter of Erie County No. 1 Co-operative Teachers
Association and BOCES First Supervisory District, Erie County, July-October; memo to local
presidents re NYSUT reorganization of Western NY Region, creation of new Southwestern New York
Region, September 4; flyer announcing arbitration seminars; memos from staff of Physical
Education Department to U.C.PA. management, Children's Center, and NYSUT local 3721, asking
for raise, April-June; letter to governor re Erie Community College Board of Trustees vacancy,
June 26; agreement between the Board of Education of Attica Central School District and the
Attica Central School Non-teaching Employees Association, July 1, 1986 June 30, 1989; memo re
Kenmore Teachers Association peer performance review plan, with attached text of the plan, May
5; memo re mergers, consolidations, and annexations of school districts, with reply from Jim
Conti; memos re requests from locals for guidance re teacher liability, February, with
hand-written note

30

Western NY Regional Office Ron Uba Coordinator's ReportsRegional monthly reports; coordinator's reports; list of agency fee locals, November 3; list
of locals with open contracts for 1987; list of locals with VOTE-COPE payroll deductions,
November 5; list of locals with benefit trust payroll deductions, November 5; notice of PERB
conference and hearing in the matter of Erie Chautauqua Cattaraugus BOCES and BOCES Support
Personnel Association, petitioner, and BOCES II Education Association, respondent, for
November 25; letter from NEA-NY Rochester Service Center to members re PERB case

Educational ServicesNYSUT Division of Research and Educational Services Contract Analysis: BOCES Contract
Clauses, October 1986; Information Bulletins, "Selected Financial Data for School Districts
1981-82 to 1983-84" and "1986-87 Executive Budget Proposal State Aid to Public Schools,"
January 1986, "Community College Status Report," March 31, 1986, "Excellence in Teaching Aid
Impact on Fringe Benefits," June, results of survey of elementary and secondary teacher
locals, June, list of districts and BOCES applying for Excellence in Teaching Aid, September
15, "Alternatives to Special Education," November 1986; confidential Regents' Report Cards,
January, February and May 22, 1986; monthly reports; brochure, New York State Educational
Conference Board State Aid Proposal, 1986-87; memos re teacher salary increases, teacher
salary aid; draft Testimony of the New York State United Teachers Regarding the Regents
Hearings on Proposed Amendments to the Certification Requirements for Elementary and Secondary
Academic Areas; memo to regional staff directors re teacher membership on Committee on Special
Education (CSE), with attached Information Bulletin giving details, October 27; letter from
NYSUT vice president Antonia Cortese to Education Commissioner Gordon Ambach, requesting that
teaching assistants pay only once for a temporary teaching license, with attached memos,
June-July; letter from director of organization of CSEA, expressing concern about raiding of
AFL locals by Teamsters, June 26, with memo from Jim Conti sharing concern, July 17; newspaper
clipping summarizing Carnegie Forum recommendations that teacher pay be increased
substantially, with cover memo from Jim Conti, June 27; year-end report, Participation of
Locals and Members in Selected Activities, prepared for NYSUT Board of Directors, June 1986;
memo from Jim Conti re "Neanderthal" goals of Owego Apalachin Central School District,
suggesting that State Education Department be informed, April 25, with attached text of goals,
including "absolutely no new programs or services or expansion of existing programs or
services" and "Year of the Taxpayer: apply any and all unanticipated state aid to tax
containment"; memo to coordinators re 1986-87 Hurd Aid to small city school districts, May 9;
New York State School Boards Association Legislative Bulletin re anticipated Excellence in
Teaching regulations, April; memo to regional office coordinators re basic school district
information, with attached sample and definition of terms, March 20; draft staff report to the
Board of Regents, "Teacher Compensation in New York State 1974-75 and 1984-85 School Years,"
February 1986

30

Field ServicesAgenda for AFT conference, "The State Federation as Employer," with memo from Jim Conti
requesting approval to attend, December 19; request for information pamphlets from Workers'
Compensation Board re on-the-job injury and off-the-job disability, October 29; letter from
director of field services Robert Allen to Superior Officers Association, Police Department,
Nassau County, explaining agency fees, October 9; memos to regional staff directors re
telephone calls to other members on behalf of endorsed candidates for public office,
September-October; memo re increased likelihood that representation elections will be more
successful on the second or third attempt, September; legislative memorandum in support of
bill that would allow collective negotiation re transfer of teachers within a school district,
September, with text of bill; memos re leave by staff member for adoption and child care,
comment that long notice requirement for specific leave dates isn't practicable for adoption,
July; model by-laws to provide for inclusion of retirees, with document, "How Local Leaders
Can Provide Continuation of Membership in Local/NYSUT AFT"; memo recommending against
relocation of a combined Elmira/Jamestown regional office to Hornell, logistical difficulties,
driving distances, alternative options, October 29; memo re Broward County (Florida)
representation election, won by AFT, making AFT majority organization in Florida, June 10;
memo from Ray Ratte to Vito DeLeonardis urging retention of Survive and Thrive Program, noting
success of program in boosting staff morale, May 23; memo re membership increase projections,
shortfall in New York City staff because of retirements, inability to recruit qualified
candidates, May 23; resolution adopted by the NYSUT Representative Assembly to provide an
attorney when a teacher chooses to use an alternative procedure to a 3020a hearing, with cover
memo outlining process, March 18; Buffalo News clipping, "Stakes, Salaries High in Failed Bid
to Gain Control of Union Local," April 13

30

Legal H.Q.American Arbitration Association Rules for Determination of Union Fees, effective June 1,
1986; related material re agency fees; request from Jim Conti to legal staff to write section
on NYSUT legal services for Local Presidents' Handbook, November 21; memos re proposed
workshop on union's role in investigatory interview (public sector), October, with attached
case for use in workshop, PERB administrative law judge decision in the matter of Wayne-Finger
Lakes BOCES, respondent, and Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES Teachers' Association; memo requesting
legal staff member to address training meeting for North Country staff, September; similar
request from Fredonia Teachers Association, September; similar request for Mid-Hudson Summer
Leadership Conference, May 29; legal opinion from NYSUT counsel re overtime provisions under
FLSA for employee performing two jobs for same employer, June 11; publication by U.S.
Department of Labor, "State and Local Government Employees under the Fair Labor Standards
Act," May 1985; list of open litigation cases, with cover memo noting that they were for Utica
Regional Office, April 17; memos requesting legal opinion re teacher liability, initiated by
Chittenango Teachers Association, January-March; similar request for Chenango Valley Teachers
Association, February 20; request for legal opinion, initiated by Beaver River Teachers
Association, re liability for accidents resulting from association-sponsored functions
involving alcohol, March 12; memo to Jim Conti re serious situation developing in Massena
Central School following the suicide of one suspended student, controversy over discipline
policies, February 23, with newspaper clippings; request for legal consultation for Ellenville
teacher, deciding whether to opt for 3020a hearing or alternative procedure, March 18; request
for meeting with North Country locals re merger of Edwards school district, affiliated with
NYSUT, and Knox district, affiliated with NEA, March 12

30

Legal NYCLetter from Jim Conti noting that U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that an employer may not
offer life insurance that pays lower benefits to women because of longer life expectancy, with
attached case, Arizona Governing Committee for Tax Deferred Annuity and Deferred Compensation
Plans, et al. v. Nathalie Norris, etc., March 19; memo from NYSUT counsel re intention to
appeal to the state Court of Appeals a decision that NYSUT complaint failed to comply with
statute of limitations, with attached decision, Peter Langham et al. v. State of New York,
November 24; letter re seminar on brief writing, sent to field representatives, with cover
memo from NYSUT general counsel to Jim Conti, October 29; agency fee materials, with cover
memo, November 17; opinion of state Supreme Court Appellate Division, Patchogue-Medford
Congress of Teachers v. Board of Education of the Patchogue-Medford Union Free School
District, holding drug urine tests to be unconstitutional, with cover memo from Jim Conti to
NYSUT general counsel, September 25; memo to NYSUT legal counsel from Jim Conti re approaching
the Commissioner of Education about a school district that set preconditions to enforcing the
Commissioner's Regulations on Excellence In Teaching that violated the intent of the
legislation, also anticipated improper practice charges over failure by districts to negotiate
the apportionment of E.I.T funds, September 18; text of local law in Suffolk County
legislature to prohibit mandatory drug testing, March 25, with attached Statement on Substance
Abuse Programs from the Faculty Association (AFT Local 3038) of Suffolk County Community
College, opposing random drug testing; letter from Jim Conti to NYSUT general counsels
praising their presentation at the PERB hearing on agency fees, September 10; correspondence
re agency fee inquiries from teachers at Middletown school district, June-July; issue of
Insurance Litigation Reporter; decision and order in state Supreme Court Special Term, Board
of Education, Yonkers City School District v. Yonkers Federation of Teachers, with cover memo
from Jim Conti asking NYSUT counsel whether decision was being appealed, March 31; memos
requesting legal opinion re teacher liability, initiated by Chittenango Teachers Association,
January-February

30

LegislationState Education Department document, "State-Aided Programs for Elementary and Secondary
Education in New York State," July 1986; summary of pending federal and state legislation in
the health area, from Donna Gwynne, program director, Employee Benefits Program, City of New
York Office of Municipal Labor Relations, November 12; minutes of the Public Sector Coalition
on Health Benefits Legislative Committee meeting of October 6; Update newsletter from the AFT
Department of Organization, FNHP Division (nurses and health professionals), October; letter
form Wappingers Federation of Teachers to VOTE/COPE director, advising him of lack of
cooperation by local state legislator, endorsed by NYSUT, in helping distribute Excellence in
Teaching funds with school district, October; fact sheet by Democratic Study Group in House of
Representatives re pending Tax Reform Act of 1986, October 1; letter sent to local presidents
asking for help in making phone calls on behalf of endorsed candidates for public office, with
cover memo to regional staff directors noting poor response, requesting follow-up calls to
locals, October 21; letter from NYSUT executive vice president Dan Sanders re legislative
successes, August 14, with attached Final Report: 1986 Legislative Session: NYSUT Legislative
Program and Major Support Bills Signed into Law; preliminary report re bills signed by
governor or awaiting action, with cover letter from Sanders, July 11; NYS School Boards
Association Legislative Bulletin re Regents meeting, July 1986; one-page document, Health
Insurance Coverage Extended by State and Federal Regulations, August 25; memorandum from the
Governor's Office of Employee Relations, recommending approval of a bill (S.9556) that would
clarify that procedural aspects of teacher transfers are negotiable, July 29; memorandum to
the governor by NYSUT director of legislation Ray Skuse strongly urging support for the
legislation, July 17; summary of Sweet Home case, re teacher transfers; text of bill in
Assembly requiring strict standards of proof in civil service tenure hearings; memorandum in
support from City of New York Office of the Mayor; memos re phone banks for calling on behalf
of the NYSUT-endorsed Cuomo/Lundine ticket, July; memo to Retiree Organizing Committee
requesting that they contact other retired members to urge them to call their state
legislators in support of pension supplementation legislation, with script of phone message,
June 27; text of state Senate bill to amend insurance law re self-funded health benefit
programs; NYS School Boards Association Legislative Bulletin re record increase in school aid,
April; legal memo re legislation regarding the expansion of Insurance Department jurisdiction
over public employee fringe benefit funds, November 17, 1980, with cover letter from Jim Conti
re new similar proposed legislation, March 27, 1986; memos re organizing college faculty
post-Yeshiva decision, possible attempt to amend NLRA, February-March; memos re salary
supplement legislation, including minutes of committee meeting and document, "Strategy If
Supplement Legislation Is Passed," March; report from the Senate Education Committee, "TIP:
Teacher Improvement Plan: The Third Year," December 1985, with cover letter to NYSUT president
Tom Hobart from committee chair Sen. James Donovan

30

New York Teacher (Publication)Print deadlines for publications New York Teacher and Bottom Line

30

President's OfficeMemo from Jim Conti to NYSUT president Tom Hobart re planned letter to local presidents re
posting of Right-to-Know law poster, December 17, 1986; letter from Jim Conti responding to
inquiry from Harvard staff member re access to arbitration cases on file with NYSUT not
otherwise available through published sources, December; request for information from New
Hampshire Federation of Teachers about NYSUT rebate assistance program for large locals, with
reply from director of field services Robert Allen that rebate is given to NYS locals
(Metro-rebate program) because they employ their own staffs and do not use NYSUT field
services, with attached formula for rebate, January 5, 1987; letter from Jim Conti to Tom
Hobart with attached report on Retirement Convention, December 17, 1986; press release by Tom
Hobart re small city school districts, December 10; memo from Conti to Hobart listing
organizations in which Hobart participated on NYSUT's behalf, December 16; memo from Conti to
Hobart re endorsed appointment to the State Mediation Board, December 10; memo for meeting of
group putting together Local Presidents' Handbook, October 27; text of proposed local law for
Suffolk County banning mandatory drug testing, with cover memo, September 19; letter from
Physical Therapists of U.C.P.A. re raising salaries, with cover memo from Jim Conti to Tom
Hobart that reply was no longer necessary, September 8; letter from Hobart congratulating
Ichabod Crane Teachers Association for good work in electing endorsed candidates to school
board, June 23; memos re new teacher and EAP orientation programs, May; memo from Conti to
Hobart recalling how Conti maintained control after defection of Rochester Regional Office
staff to NEA in 1976, April 24; memo from Conti to Hobart discussing why organizing Empire
State Day Care Centers would not be a worthwhile project, April 25; memo from Conti to Hobart
initially exploring possibility of organizing day care centers, March 27; list of
school-related personnel (SRP) locals that left CSEA for NEA, and CSEA units that asked to
become affiliated with NYSUT, with attached memo from Conti to Hobart noting that NYSUT had
advised CSEA locals that they could not affiliate with NYSUT, possible cooperative efforts
with CSEA in raiding NEA-affiliated locals, April 8; memo requesting Hobart's attendance at
rally for Waterford-Halfmoon Teachers Association contract settlement, with attached newspaper
clipping, April; correspondence with Hobart re excessed teacher in Farmingdale who believed he
was not properly recalled according to seniority list, March-April; memo from Hobart to staff
re additional toll-free phone line, request that it not be used for personal calls, April 11;
memo from Conti to Hobart re need for unions to coordinate boycott of Albany Marriott Hotel on
behalf of Hotel & Restaurant Workers Union, April 8; NYSUT 1986 Annual Report: "Beyond
Collective Bargaining," with cover memo from Hobart thanking colleagues

30

Secretary : Treasurer's OfficeMemo from Herb Magidson to coordinators re per capita payments (dues) for per diem
substitutes, January 16; memo form Jim Conti asking whether an insurance company had been
identified willing to provide liability coverage for locals and individual teachers, noting
continued demand from locals, April 8

30

Public Relations"Inside Your Schools" program catalog for monthly television show, with cover letter; memo
inquiring re costs for producing and airing radio ads, lead time, and whether statistically
meaningful measurements could be made for testing effectiveness, February 27; press release,
"Teacher Centers in Vanguard of Education Improvement, Professionalism of Teaching," May 2;
clipping from Advertising Age, "Chavez, UFW pack up their pickets, go 'high-tech': Union uses
mail, phone campaign," June 16, with cover memo to Jim Conti; memo from Jim Conti critiquing
AFT leaflet for clerical workers, noting "not punchy enough," overstating health and safety
protections, December 19; clippings from CSEA newsletter, The Public Sector, re Region 4 and
6, comparable worth implementation, October 20

30

Reports (1 of 2)NYSUT Resource Packet: Helping Children at Risk; New York State Office of Mental Health 1987
Update and Progress Report for the Five Year Comprehensive Plan: Mental Health Services,
1985-1990, with cover letter

30

Reports (2of 2)A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform, National Commission on Excellence
in Education, April 1983; New York State Board of Regents Proposed Action Plan to Improve
Elementary and Secondary Education Results in New York, revised February 1984; 1986087
Educational Conference Board State Aid Proposal background information; Coalition for Public
Education report, "The State of New York and Nonpublic Schools: An examination of their
historical, legal and fiscal relationships," December 1985

30

Reports (3 of 3)Reports prepared by NYSUT's Division of Research and Educational Services: selected
financial data for school districts 1981-82 to 1983-84; "Reimbursable Cost Manual for Private
Schools Receiving Funding Under Article 89 and Article 81 of Education Law to Educate
Handicapped Children," September 1985 edition, superseding September 1984 issue; Information
Bulletin re Consumer Price Index; reprint of State Education Department publication,
"State-Aided Programs for Elementary and Secondary Education in New York State," July 1986

30

Nassau Regional Office: CorrespondenceAppeal of the Board of Education of the Goshen Central School District before the
Commissioner re 3020a decision finding tenured teacher not guilty of six of eight charges
(dismissed), November 30; memo re rally in support of Daily News strikers, December 3; memo
denying approval for travel to New York Institute of Technology annual conference because of
severe budget constraints, November 21; two appeals by South Country Central School District
re mixed decision in 3020a hearing against tenured special education teacher (dismissed),
October 11, with cover memo from Jim Conti; suggestions to Jim Conti by Nassau regional staff
director re solutions to problems encountered by staff in scheduling arbitration hearings,
August 21; memo to Jim Conti summarizing Commissioner's decisions on two 3020a cases, Board of
Education of Johnstown Central School District v. Spencer, re charges of molestation, and
Central School District of Elmira v. McCloud, re charges of corporal punishment, October 29,
with attached case decisions; State Education Department panel decisions in 3020a cases,
Gates-Chili school district v. Keith Harvey, and Marcus Whitman Central v. Sherrill Maurer,
with cover memo, October 15; state Supreme Court decision in Victor Meister v. Thomas Sobol,
as Commissioner of Education and the Board of the South Colonie Central School District, June
15, with cover memo from Jim Conti asking that the case be summarized, June 28; comparison of
the Orange-Ulster BOCES self-insurance plans with Empire Plan, June 21; similar comparison for
Plainedge, June 12; memo re consideration of self-funded health insurance plan for Rockville
Centre, January 18; agenda for meeting of Coalition to Advance Women of Color in Education, at
Hofstra School of Education, May 10; memo to Jim Conti re expert witness in arbitration of pay
discrimination case at C. W. Post College, May 14; memo to Jim Conti summarizing Court of
Appeals decisions of bargaining financial disclosure Board of Education of NYC v. PERB,
Subcontracting Summer School (Webster Central School District v. PERB Court of Appeals), and
Nassau County Supreme Court decision on the Freedom of Information Law and Materials Used in
the Classroom (Russo v. Nassau Community College), May 15; summary of Commissioner's Decision
in Keesler v. Northeast Central School District, January 23; State Education Department panel
decision and state Supreme Court decision in 3020a case, Batavia City School District v. H.
David Cargill, with cover memos, February 3 and April 5; appeal before the Commissioner of
Education of a refusal by the Harborfields Board of Education to conduct a hearing over a
student's grade, brought by the parents, and appeal before the Commissioner of a decision by
the North Tonawanda City School District re involuntary transfer of a teacher, with cover memo
from Jim Conti, March 16; memo re Port Washington retirement incentive plan, March 2

30

Rochester Regional Office CorrespondenceRevised Proposal from the Rochester Teachers Association to the Rochester City School
District, November 29; Rochester Democrat & Chronicle clipping re efforts to reach
contract settlement, December 21; Rochester Teachers Association newsletter, The Rochester
Teacher, re task force on shared accountability, August 27; U.S. News & World Report
article re Rochester contract negotiations, "Blackboard Juggle: Teachers in this urban school
system are trying to redefine unionism in an age of reform," December 24; 1990-91 contract
analysis items for districts in the NYSUT Rochester Regional Office area, focusing on
Excellence In Teaching funds distribution; compilation of case law, "What Constitutes a
Strike," by NYSUT counsel Ray Samson, with memo from Jim Conti complimenting his research,
December 18; memos re letter from school nurse in the Geneva area, November; draft policy for
workplace hazard notification and patient confidentiality, to board of Finger Lakes Regional
Occupational Health Program, October 1; memo to Jim Conti from Ray Samson, cautioning re
meaning of consultation clauses, October 18; letter to Gov. Mario Cuomo from New York State
School Boards Association, New York State Council of School Superintendents, and Association
of School Business Officials, with suggestions for addressing the state fiscal crises,
including eliminating Excellence In Teaching funding as doing nothing to improve classroom
teaching, repealing the Wicks Law, and other measures, with cover memo from Jim Conti to NYSUT
president Tom Hobart, December 3; memos re hiring by Newark Central School District of teacher
aide for teaching assistant vacancy after teaching assistant applied for the job, September;
memo re (third) petition filed by NEA challenging Greece Support Services Employees'
Association, November 21; letter to AFT president Al Shanker from Rochester Teachers
Association re contract negotiation, with cover letter from Shanker to AFT Executive Council,
November 5; memo from president of Rochester Teachers Association (RTA) re Franklin High
School receivership, June 11, and related memos and newspaper clippings debating failure of
school-based planning, inability to agree on plan to improve dropout rate, academic
performance; list of school budgets defeated in district, June 21; tentative agreement, with
notice to all RTA teachers to attend ratification meeting on September 24; memo re Greece
Support Services Employees Association election challenge by NEA, January 8; memo re
entitlement of Newark Paraprofessionals Association to Excellence In Teaching funds, November
12; proposal by WROC-TV (CBS) for jointly funded series highlighting education issues, "Great
Expectations," with cover memo from Ray Samson re funding, November 1; Rochester Business
Journal list of top 25 highest-paid public officials, almost all school officials;
confidential memo re average salary increases in RTA, September 19; memo quoting Blue
Cross/Blue Shield rates in Rochester area, July 2; memo from Jim Conti re Eastern New York
Occupational Health Program clinic notification protocol, October 15; memo from Jim Conti re
Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act amendments of 1989, and implications for NYSUT approach
to the Drug-Free Workplace Act, August 14; memo to Jim Conti from Ray Samson re certification
of drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs, impact for Dundee Teachers Association, August
9, and related materials; text of law succeeding Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of
1986, Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools (1990); Finance and
Legislative News Notes opposing teacher union involvement in negotiating BOCES services, June
5; memo re drug-free workplace policy requirements, July 19; memo to Jim Conti reporting on
lackluster annual conference of New York State Public Sector Coalition on Health Benefits,
June 27; letter to Ray Samson from teacher at Livingston Stuben Wyoming BOCES, asking for
reimbursement from NYSUT for legal fees and review of 3020a case for due process violations,
involving interviews with psychiatrists, attached complaint filed with PERB, June 12; letter
from president of the Rochester Teachers Association re issue of accountability as part of
negotiations, April 6; related newspaper clippings; newspaper clippings re Kodak work force to
teach math and science in city schools; newspaper clipping in Rochester Times Union re Kodak,
AFT, and others joining coalition advocating for national health insurance, with attached
letter to the editor of Washington Post objecting to its mischaracterization of AFT position
as supporting a purely market-based approach to health reform, March 14; agenda for 1990
Annual Regional SRP Conference on March 30-31; position statement by New York State School
Boards Association on school-based management, with cover memo to Jim Conti, February 20; memo
from New York State School Boards Association executive director to school attorneys,
announcing that legal services would no longer be provided free of charge, December 18, 1989;
memo to Jim Conti informing him that pro-NYSUT incumbent president of Greece Support Services
Employees Association won election by large margin, with rest of pro-NYSUT slate winning as
well, January 2; Rochester City School District joint statement of intent and agreement with
Rochester Teachers Association, "Career in Teaching Plan," c. 1988, and "Guidelines for
School-Based Planning 1988-1989"

31

Albany Regional Office: CorrespondenceList of pending legal cases, March 29; memos re Niskayuna Middle School tenure areas,
October-December; memos re air quality at Cohoes Middle School, June-October, including
microbiology sampling report; request for review of North Colonie Cafeteria Plan, June 14,
with text of plan benefits; draft grant application to IBM by Saratoga-Warren BOCES Technology
Planning Consortium for distance leaning program, April 30, with attached minutes and memos;
two letters to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from a school bus driver in Duansburgh re field
representative Ron Peretti in handling negotiations, with cover note asking how NYSUT should
respond, June 26; health and safety materials, including flyers and checklist re how to set up
a health and safety committee, by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health,
with cover memo from Jim Conti, May 8; report to Jim Conti on themes of speakers at
Partnership in Health Care Conference, with comments by Conti re the need for universal health
care coverage, April 5; memo between Jim Conti and NYSUT counsel re interpretation of section
3014b of state Education Law in case of Schalmont school district, BOCES skills development
course, March; memos re request for budget analysis by Schoharie Teachers Association, March;
National Center for Education Statistics survey report, "Time Allocation Patterns of Teachers
in Public and Private Schools: 1984-86," July 1989; memo from Jim Conti requesting that NYSUT
staff member attend and report on state AFL-CIO and NYS Conference of Blue Cross and Blue
Shield Plans, February 9; letter to Hobart from teacher at Glenmont Elementary School,
interested in switching from NEA-affiliated Bethlehem Central Teachers Association to NYSUT,
January 5

Buffalo Regional Office: CorrespondenceMemo to NYSUT Board of Directors re proposal to build new Western NY Regional Office, with
attached packet from Ciminelli Development Company, August 14; letter to regional staff
director Ron Uba from president of North Tonawanda United Teachers, alleging continued
inappropriate language, innuendo, by NYSUT rep, with confidential reply assuring monitoring of
situation, August-September; correspondence between Uba and Lancaster School District
transportation supervisor re negotiations, May; memo re union's role in negotiating 3020a
cases, with attached PERB case re Binghamton Firefighters, March 8; chain letter from Ron Uba
in support of ending apartheid in South Africa, initiated by member of the University of South
Africa, December 11; letter to employees of Resource Center from Resource Center United
Employees urging that they sign card authorizing representation election for NYSUT, and
related flyers comparing wages and benefits of unionized vs. non-unionized workers; memo to
Jim Conti re retirement problem for employee of Gowanda school district who was never properly
informed of his right to enroll in the NYS retirement system, September; Improper Practice
Charge by Buffalo Teachers Federation NEA against Buffalo Board of Education, with cover memo
to Ron Uba, October 22; memo from Jim Conti to NYSUT legal counsel asking whether certain
questions on a physical examination questionnaire for new hires and tenure candidates at
Barker Central School were legal, related to smoking status, birth control status, number of
pregnancies, number of living children, October; letter to NYSUT President Hobart from
Assemblyman William Hoyt on behalf of teacher at Lake Shore Central Schools who was denied
tenure, JulySeptember, with related correspondence; request for legal opinion re librarian at
Springville Elementary School, who was asked by principal (believed to suspect librarian of
stealing) to turn over usage records for a number of books, question of whether names of
borrowers could be masked out, with copy of federal rules of evidence re library records, May;
letter from Lancaster Association of Service Personnel thanking Jim Conti for use of video
produced by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, October 4; reminder to local presidents
to send representatives to Labor Day parade, with attached list of participating organizations
and lineup, August 27; memos re controversy over Orchard Park dues for support staff (SRPs),
with attached salary schedule, old and new dues rates, May-June; Redbook article on sick
building syndrome, April; memo to Jim Conti re salary problem at Niagara Association for
Retarded Citizen's Union, February 15, and related correspondence and documents, including
memorandum from the state Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, July
14, 1988; memo re erosion of retiree health benefits, arbitration case and Improper Practice
Charge in Amherst district, February 14, 1990, with attached decision of PERB administrative
law judge, 1984, collateral incentive service agreement, April 1980; memo to Jim Conti re
requirement by Niagara Falls School District that all physical education teachers pass
rigorous American Red Cross Lifeguard Review Training Course, assertion by teachers that they
should not be required to become lifeguards, question of whether refusal would constitute
insubordination, January 25; memo and flyer re NYSUT Instructional Leadership Conference,
January 12

Elmsford Regional Office CorrespondenceMemo to Jim Conti re fee dispute with arbitrator over postponement of hearing for Mt.
Pleasant case, November 20; notice and meeting agenda to local presidents in the Putnam/
Northern Westchester Health Consortium, with attachments; newspaper clipping about a business
teacher at Sleepy Hollow High School who had been suspended without pay for three months after
admitting to disclosing questions on final exam to students, in return for other unspecified
charges being dropped, November 28; memo from Jim Conti asking whether anyone at the State
Education Department would be sympathetic to raising low salaries at Special Act and 4201
Schools, noting latest appeal (attached) re Hallen Center for funding assistance with health
insurance program, February-March; related memos, April; letter to corporate vice president of
Blue Cross/Blue Shield from NYSUT regional director Robert Klein, accepting invitation to
serve as member of the Westchester/ Rockland Regional Subscriber Advisory Council, November
30; memo re plans for Rockland County Teachers Association workshop, November 20; materials re
Westchester Education Coalition, Inc., with memos to and from Jim Conti discussing
questionable suggestions for school reform in teacher education programs, list of Board of
Directors showing predominantly business representation, December 14; confidential letter to
Jim Wood, executive director of NYSUT, from Robert Klein, regional staff director, expressing
concern over expansion of time devoted by a field representative to welfare funds, November
19; materials re state aid and retirement contributions in Nanuet, September; NewsLetter from
Martin E. Segal Company, Consultants and Actuaries, "Managing Postretirement Health Benefits
for Multiemployer Plans," May; extensive correspondence re Rockland Community College
Federation of Teachers, including letter from Eugene Cameron, president of federation, with
attached letter from members acting on their own on behalf of the union, assertion by Cameron
of need to correct the situation, July 24; request from AFT secretary-treasurer to Cameron,
president of Rockland Community College Federation of Teachers, to provide written answers to
charges brought against him for possible investigation, July 20, with attached list of
allegations, including illegal election procedures, attempts to expel paraprofessionals from
bargaining unit, refusal to process new member applications, and more; meeting notices and
related correspondence, February 5, February 7, February 14, May 3, May 11, 1990, and
November-December 1989; monograph by Westchester teacher Robert Liftig, How to Win against
Harassment, with cover letter from NYSUT regional Field Director Robert Klein to Jim Wood,
director of Field Services, noting that Klein did not give Liftig names or addresses of any
local presidents but did supply names of school districts, noting inflammatory content, March
12; Yonkers Public Schools Teachers' Contract Analysis: 1988-89 Teachers' Salary Schedule;
letter from North Rockland Teachers Association president, praising field representative Ed
Corcoran for help in negotiations, May 21; correspondence re Nanuet teacher Terry McFadden,
suspended without pay, which was then reduced, question of back pay owed, April-May; memo re
Excellence In Teaching agreement at Port Jervis school district, March-April; federal
confidentiality regulations re substance abuse counseling programs, with cover memo
referencing Pine Bush counselor, March 15; formal request by regional staff director Robert
Klein to NYSUT secretary-treasurer for the Board of Directors to bring the Organization of
Pius XII Employees, a group of ten school-related personnel, into conformance with dues
requirements, noting poor administrative management of local, March 14; list of
NYSUT-affiliated Special Act schools, March 15; materials re long-term teacher at Goshen
school district, removed as chief grader and then fined $10,000 for speaking publicly about
grade inflation, accusing administration of more concern about bad publicity than identifying
students who need remedial help, letter of support from parents, newspaper clippings,
March

31

Jim Conti: Lakeland/Putnam Valley (Elmsford R.O.)Correspondence sent to Jim Conti re Putnam Valley School District's plans to build its own
high school, implications for teachers, curriculum, new section of Education Law

31

Jamestown Regional Office CorrespondenceBrochure, "Clearing the Air: Applying New York's Clean Indoor Air Act at the Worksite,"
published by NYS Department of Health, October 1989; outline for Right-to-Know and Public
Employee Safety and Health Act training, March 15; 1990 training registration and evaluation
forms; Chemical Hazard Communication for Public Employers: NYS "Right-to-Know" Law and NY
PESHA Hazard Communication Standard Summary Sheet; chronology of federal and NYS safety and
health legislation, 1970-1989; OSHA Hazard Communication Standard Legislative Intent; related
materials; newsletter, Fact Finder, published by Jamestown Area Labor Management Committee and
Jamestown Community College Business and Industry Center, with cover memo from Jim Conti,
March 2; memo to Jim Conti re the Jamestown Area Labor-Management Committee, with attached
report calling the committee a cosmetic approach to a poor labor relations climate in the
Jamestown area, orientation more management than labor, co-opted labor leaders, recommending
graceful demise, December 20, 1989; memo from Jim Conti re contractual disciplinary hearing
replacing 3020a hearing as a mandatory subject of bargaining, with attached case, Antinore v
State of New York, March 2; related memo to NYSUT executive director James Wood, March 9; memo
re proposed construction and purchase of a southwestern New York regional office building,
with cost projections and floor plan, May 17; report by State Education Department Bureau of
Facilities Planning re asbestos inspection of Prospect Elementary School, Salamanca School
District, with cover memo to Jim Conti, January 29

Mid: Hudson Regional Office CorrespondenceDescription of Medicare coverage changes following 1990 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act;
correspondence re abrupt resignation of teacher from half-time position as chair of Committee
on Special Education at Windham-Ashland-Jewett Central School, likely Part 83 charge against
her, November-December; request from president of Wappingers Federation of Workers for review
of alleged election irregularities, November-December; materials re Roundout Valley Federation
of Teachers claim with CIGNA Insurance against former local president, including letter from
attorney threatening legal action for defamation, November; memo re AFL-CIO arbitration case
report form, noting that it had been unused since it was developed, November 19; list of
possible local presidents and others who might be called upon to assist with training around
the state re education reform/restructuring, November 19; outline of topics re Workers'
Compensation and occupational health clinics at the Mid-Hudson Regional Office Summer
Leadership Conference, August 24, 1990; tentative agenda; memos re request from the Wappingers
Federation of Workers for dispute resolution assistance from AFT to address disunity on the
executive committee, distrust between custodians and drivers, October-November; memo re health
and safety training for locals, November 8; letter to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from
president of Roscoe Teachers' Association, calling letter from Jim Conti insulting,
misleading, October 23; letter to Roscoe president from Jim Conti, October 12; letter from
Roscoe president to Jim Conti, protesting change in field representative without prior
consultation, September 25; minutes of Eastern New York Occupational Health Program Advisory
Committee, August 15; correspondence with NYSUT member who received nuisance sales calls from
United Community Insurance Company, underwriter of NYSUT's professional liability program,
September-October; memo to Jim Conti re staff discussion re difficulties (logistical and
otherwise) in scheduling arbitration cases, August 29; memo re remaining assignments for a
departing field representative, August 24; status report from field representative re cases,
August 13; drug testing agreement with Wappingers school district; memo requesting assistance
in preparing a video of the year's activities for presentation at the Summer Leadership
Conference, April 26; letter from Jim Conti to consultant Martin E. Segal Company, requesting
a comparison of health plans, March 27; correspondence re Livingston Manor Faculty
Association, complaint of lack of support by recently resigned probationary music teacher,
Jill Lerner, who was no longer willing to perform uncompensated extracurricular activities,
March-May; letter from consultant Martin E. Segal Company, comparing dental plans for Rondout
Valley school district, May 4; handwritten spreadsheet of expenses incurred by Mid-Hudson
staff, including questionable expenditures, 1983-89; request for AFT investigation of Highland
Teachers Association president, related correspondence, March-April; memos, flyer, and list of
topics for Right-to-Know training for science teachers in Ulster County (Onteora Junior-Senior
High School), May 16; correspondence re Livingston Manor teacher Jill Lerner, who had received
a letter of reprimand for insensitive response to complaints by Jewish parents about
"Christmas Program," January; correspondence with Sullivan County BOCES Teachers Association
Executive Board re complaint of insufficient time and support for local from field services
staff, February-March; correspondence with Public Employment Relations Board re Red Hook
Faculty Association mediation, fee charged by mediator, February; tentative agenda, workshop
descriptions, and registration form for regional SRP conference, with cover memo to local
presidents, February 7

31

Mid: Hudson(Chatham T.A.)April 19, 1990. Regional office information; memo to NYSUT officers re discussions with
Chatham Teachers Association re reaffiliation with NYSUT; letter to president of Chatham
Teachers Association inviting her and members of the local to attend events by NYSUT
Mid-Hudson Regional Office, March 29

NYC Regional Office: CorrespondenceMemos re indoor air quality meeting, December; letter to Jim Conti re next meeting of the
Mount Sinai-Irving J. Selikoff Occupational Health Clinical Center Advisory Board, October 29;
summary of NYSUT health and safety survey, printed in New York Teacher, with cover memo form
Jim Conti to member of Health & Safety Committee at Harry S. Truman High School, July
18; memo re proposed staff training session re the purpose and function of the AFL-CIO and its
role in international labor movements such as Poland's, February 2; 15-page memo re tax
implications of NYU tuition benefits for USA (United Staff Association) employees, January
31

31

North Country Regional Office: Correspondence
(Plattsburgh/Potsdam/Watertown)Draft report, Harold T. Wiley School Investigation for the Watertown City School District,
prepared by Bernier, Carr & Associate, P.C., consulting engineers, August 1989, with
cover handwritten list of questions; letter from engineer to president of Wiley Education
Association re vibration phenomenon at school, November 3, 1989, with cover memo to Jim Conti,
February 9, 1990; request for legal opinion re fringe benefit costs associated with Excellence
in Teaching funds, dispute with Watertown school district, September; letter from NEA-NY to
NYSUT local presidents in the Plattsburgh region re Clinton-Essex BOCES election, highly
critical of NYSUT, concluding with an open pitch for defection to NEA, June 7; materials
related to affiliation election for BOCES Clinton, Essex, Warren and Washington Counties
(CEWW), including newspaper clippings, meeting agendas, memos from NYSUT and NEA,
February-October; letter from PERB re CEWW, with cover memo, November 12; NYSUT complaint with
NYS Department of Labor re alleged safety or health hazard at South Lewis Central School
District (Glenfield Elementary School, Port Leyden Elementary School, Junior-Senior High
School) caused by school buses idling for 20 minutes at direction of transportation
supervisor, noting complaint also filed with state DEC, October 23; memo from president of the
Beaver River Teachers Association re contract mediation, request for NYSUT officer to come to
speak to local to keep spirits up, with cover memo from Jim Conti, November 29; requests for
additional secretarial help to keep up with new work generated by Don (Mesibov)'s Shared
Decision Making program, April 3 and October 15; letter to the editor by superintendent of
Madrid-Waddington district re Excellence In Teaching agreement, with cover memo to Jim Conti,
October 16; newspaper clippings re implementation of Shared Decision Making in St. Lawrence
County, with cover memo to Jim Conti, August 30; flyer re seminar on Taylor Law at LeMoyne
College, with cover memo from Jim Conti suggesting that interested locals should be advised,
September 5; memos re Teachers' Retirement System and state aid, June; letter from president
of Plattsburgh Teachers Association to NYSUT North Country regional staff director Robert
Allen, suggesting that his district was a model of positive labor-management relations, with
cover memo from Allen to NYSUT Executive Director Jim Wood, suggesting in turn that the
district should be offered as a model of effective Shared Decision Making, March 12; memo from
regional staff director requesting use of Teacher Defense Fund to reimburse the legal fees for
a Potsdam teacher who had successfully defended himself against criminal and 3020a charges of
inappropriate conduct with an underage student, February 26; memos and newspaper clippings re
old bomb shelters from the 1950s and '60s, discovered in schools, stocked with medical kits
containing canisters of ether that could explode, removal by State Emergency Management,
March; constitutions of United Staff Association (Monroe County BOCES) and BOCES United
Employees (Yorktown Heights), with cover memo from Jim Conti, February 21; report and
recommendations of State Education Department panel in 3020a case, Saranac Lake Central School
District v. George Tolhurst, for conduct unbecoming a teacher (use of public address system to
denigrate females on International Women's Day), with cover memo from Jim Conti, February
12

31

OrganizingUnity Agreement, SFFT and SFCTA, n.d., c. 1989; Unity Agreement, San Francisco Federation of
Teachers and San Francisco C.T.A. (by Unity Committees of SF/AFT and SFCTA September 22,
1989); memo to NYSUT organizers, "The Truth about NEA Liability Insurance," asserting that NEA
liability insurance program is of no value to teachers in New York State, with attached copies
of NEA insurance documents, December 4, 1990; compilation of teacher liability cases and
indemnification for attorney's fees, July; memo, "Intern Training. It's not just organizing,"
December 19; memo to all VNA staff with instructions on how to revoke membership in Federation
of Nurses and Professionals (sic), December 19; memo from Jim Conti suggesting attached
arbitration case might be reviewed, Arlington Central School District v. Arlington Teachers
Association, December 14; memo to organizers, NYSUT Nurse Advisory Committee, and selected
regional staff directors re salary and benefit factors used by the federal government for
determining hospital reimbursement rates, under the Prospective Payment System, November 8,
1989; appeal before the Commissioner of Education of a 3020a decision in Goshen Central School
District against teacher Sidney Marshall, with memo from Jim Conti requesting review, December
14; memo assigning organizers to future staff meetings at locals where no organizers were
housed, October 31; memo to Jim Conti re BOCES survey about protecting the integrity of the
bargaining units, eligible professionals not represented, concerns about spurious
classifications, February 6, 1989; memo to organizers and Jim Conti, "Clever Membership
Gimmick," re authorization form for union membership dues attached to contract ballot, October
17; article from Bureau of National Affairs re AFT and NEA affiliates in Connecticut
discussing possible merger, May 28, 1990; BNA article re conflicting policies by NEA and AFT
making merger in Wisconsin unlikely, June 11, 1990; memo reporting number of authorization
cards signed at three schools in Lafayette, November 6; two 3020a appeals before the
Commissioner of Education re South Country Central School District against teacher Susan
Hirsch, with cover memo from Jim Conti, November 8; PERB cases re Niagara County Community
College, with cover memo from Jim Conti re implications for fragmentation of bargaining
members and exploitation by NEA to gain more units, possible impact on Rockland County
Community College, November 9; PERB decision re New York State Nurses Association v. County of
Oswego (Oswego County Local 838, Civil Service Employees Association, AFSCME, intervenor),
November 8; memo re child abuse detection training, September 11; organizing campaign
materials by Communication Workers of America (CWA) at Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, with cover
memo from Jim Conti, October 24; appeals before the Commissioner of Education by the Greater
Johnstown City School District from a decision in a 3020a case against Gary Spencer and by the
Elmira City School District in a 3020a case against Lucy McCloud, with request by Jim Conti
for review, September 12; request from Jim Conti to NYSUT legal counsel for staff to make
presentation to Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals re liability and other issues,
September 5; article from Bureau of National Affairs Labor Relations Week re competition for
American Nursing Association to organize nurses, June 20; (Albany) Sunday Times Union
clipping, "SUNYA [SUNY Albany] climbs to find a place among nation's top 100 research
universities," August 5; New York State ASPA Council and Jackson, Lewis, Schnitzler &
Krupman present How to Combat the AFL-CIO's "Union, Yes" Campaign and Other New Union
Organizing Techniques, 1989; paper, "Nonunion Grievance Procedures: Union Avoidance Technique
or Union Organizing Opportunity?" by Mark J. Keppler, associate professor, School of Business,
California State University-Fresno, n.d., c. 1990; materials for communications training in
employee/labor relations at Benjamin Rush Center, June 28; state Supreme Court decision in
Victor Meister v. Thomas Sobol, Commissioner, with cover memo from Jim Conti, requesting
summary, June 28; memos re Improper Practice charge in Regents degree program harassment case,
May 1 and April 9; AFL-CIO Organizing Survey 1986-87 NLRB elections, February 1989, with cover
memo to labor relations specialists and organizers recommending the report, May 22, 1990;
clipping from American Journal of Nursing re industrial and other labor unions targeting
nursing as new membership source, May; text of U.S. Court of Appeals case, American Hospital
Association v. NLRB and American Nurses Association et al., April 11; article re AFSCME
efforts to organize nurses, with cover memo from Jim Conti, April 20; letter to Jim Conti from
director of AFT Leadership Institute apologizing for error in focus of organizing seminar,
suggesting seminar on community college organizing, March 28, with cover letter from Jim Conti
to John O'Leary, April 19; paper by John Lawler, associate professor, University of Illinois,
"Artificial Intelligence Techniques and the Formulation of Union Organizing Strategy," n.d.;
article on the reliability of drug and HIV testing, "Misleading Reliability," by Robert S.
Root-Bernstein, in The Sciences, New York Academy of Science, March/April; Commissioner's
decision in Keesler v. Northeast Central School District, January 23, with cover memo from Jim
Conti noting that NYSUT legal counsel thought Commissioner was wrong, March 16; Commissioner's
decisions in Harborfields (parents' appeal of grade decision) and Reynolds (North Tonawanda,
involuntary transfer of teacher) appeals, with cover memo, March 16; article in Labor
Relations Week re organizing techniques, February 28; paper, "The Organising Process:
Contemporary Challenges and Union Responses in Britain," by Phillip B. Beaumont, University of
Glasgow, and Richard Harris, University of Waikato, prepared for the IRRA National Meeting,
December 23-30, 1989; memo from Federation of Nursing and Health Professionals public
relations department re new nurse image campaign kickoff, sponsored by the National Commission
on Nursing Implementation Project and the Advertising Council, February 16; Seven Month Report
of the NEA-NY Organizing Project, January 18, with attached commentary from Jim Conti,
February 2; notice of Labor Advisory Committee meeting at Cornell University ILR Capital
District office, "Collective Bargaining in the Health Care Industry: Local 1199 and the League
of Volontary (sic) Hospitals and Homes," January 9; memo re development of school-related
personnel (SRP) organizing brochure, January 3; clipping from NEA newsletter re NEA-NY
organizing campaign fund shortfall, January 22; newsletters of the NYSUT Division of Field
Service, Organizing Bulletin

Southern Tier Regional Office: CorrespondenceHistory of Excellence In Teaching funds in Horseheads Central School District as it related
to Horseheads School Services Association, May 9; memo to Jim Conti requesting speaker from
PERB for Southern Tier Spring Conference of March 17; memo to Jim Conti re lack of usefulness
to staff of monthly computer printouts re arbitrations, potential for great savings in
discontinuing practice, November 14; policy statement adopted by NYSUT Board of Directors in
1974 re NYSUT locals and Landrum-Griffin Act; agenda for Southern Tier Regional Office (STRO)
staff retreat of September 20-21; newspaper clippings re impact of teacher suspension for
hitting students with ruler, questions of interpretation of rules on physical force and
physical contact; memo form Jim Conti asking about stop/loss insurance, June 21; notes from
negotiations session between Horseheads School Services Association and school district, June
4; memo to Jim Conti re Mt. Upton/Gilbertsville merger, June 6; memos re Webster Central
School District case in Court of Appeals, re sub- contracting, May; memo from Corning-Painted
Post school district re required training re recognizing and reporting child abuse, September
24; memo from Jim Conti re ineligibility for Social Security refund for teachers who had tax
withheld while on sick leave, change in rules, statute of limitations, May 23; memo from Jim
Conti noting that flexible spending accounts do not continue into retirement, May 22; memo to
Jim Conti estimating an increase of 40 members, plus 40 new school-related personnel members
with the addition of the Harpursville SRP local, in the Southern Tier Regional Office for
1990-91; memo re Horseheads Excellence In Teaching situation, May 10; 33-page document, "Union
Organizing Update: The Employers Legal Response," January, with cover note to Jim Conti, "used
by hospital management in Southern Tier," March 19; citation of court case, Rush-Henrietta
Central School District v. Newman as chair of PERB, et al., re smoking regulations, with cover
memo to Jim Conti, April 16; findings and recommendation of State Education Department hearing
panel in 3020a charge against teacher in Charlotte Valley Central School District, February;
citation of appeal of Lippman, et al. v. Board of Education of Sewanhaka Central High School
District, et al., February; correspondence between Jim Conti and NYSUT field representative
John Callahan discussing recent health care conference, reasons for rising health care costs,
misguided cost containment proposals, February 2; question re ability to represent Cortland
Nurses Association (registered nurses who had been released from the Cortland City School
District CSEA bargaining unit and requested affiliation with NYSUT), January 11; memos re fee
question for attorney presentation at Endicott Superintendent's Conference Day workshop,
potential issue for NEA to exploit, January

31

Suffolk: Meeting on Self InsuranceSeptember 7th, 1990. Presentation by consulting actuaries Milliman & Robertson,
Inc., A Self-Insured Employee Medical Benefit Program: Cost Projection and Comments, June 8;
draft of East End Health Plan Trust Agreement (BOCES Suffolk County), with cover memo, October
2; list of steering committee members; Steering Committee Recommendations to School Boards and
Participating Unions in Regard to the East End Health Insurance Consortium: Overall Purpose of
Moving Is to Reduce the Tax Rate and Improve the Plan, revised August 24, with cover memo from
Shelter Island Union Free School District re revisions, August 30; opinion letters from
consultants and actuaries Martin E. Segal Company, July; related correspondence

Suffolk Regional Office: CorrespondenceReport by NYS Department of Labor of industrial hygiene investigation at Reed Jr. High
School and Senior High School, Central Islip High School, July 19, 1988; follow-up letter to
Department of Labor General Counsel from Central Islip Teachers Association, expressing
frustration and disappointment at lack of compliance, May 24, 1989; request from regional
office for additional secretarial help, August 28, 1990, with negative reply; correspondence
between superintendent and attorney re conditions of retirement buyout of teachers at
Bridgehampton school district, July; handwritten notes re East End (Health) Consortium,
September 7; material data sheet re glue used for wallpaper at Suffolk Regional Office, with
cover memo inquiring as to whether contents were hazardous, January 5; memo from Regional
Director re possible retirement problem concerning Tier I and maternity, December 18; December
regional report re negotiations and other activities; letter from Regional Director to
factfinder protesting recommendation re Bayport-Blue point Union Free School District and
Bayport-Blue Point Teachers Association health insurance negotiations, November 30; memo re
Long Island Symposium on the Economy, July 3; letters re abolishing teacher and other staff
positions at Port Jefferson school district, whether layoff of a teacher aide followed Civil
Service rules, November-December; materials re East End Self-Insurance; Newsday clippings and
editorial re rising administrative costs at Long Island schools, smaller student population,
with cover memo re clouds on the horizon, July 18; list of school districts involved in
self-funded health insurance discussions, July 9; memo re negotiations for successor agreement
to 1989-90 Excellence In Teaching agreement at Middle County district, June 26; letter to
State Insurance Commission re difficulty by employees of Montauk school district in finding
chiropractors acceptable to Metropolitan Life Insurance (Empire Plan), need to drive 40 miles,
May 15; memo re Long Island People for Learning training on PR techniques, May 15; memo re
East Moriches smoking policy, possible ground for Improper Practice charge, May 9; memo re
agency fee, Beck decision, March 28; letter to AFT president Al Shanker, wishing Jack Nugent,
president of the International Association of Machinists, good luck in organizing St. John's
Episcopal Hospital in Smithtown, whose technical employees had been represented by NYSUT/AFT,
March 9; memo from Jim Conti re health and safety violations at Central Islip School District,
March 6, related press release from Attorney General's office, newspaper clippings; request
from Sayville Teachers Association for budget analysis of Sayville school district because of
anticipation of layoffs, February; material safety data sheet from Pitney Bowes re print
powder used in copy machine, request to NYSUT staff for analysis, January 16; memo referring
to Suffolk County consolidation report (see previous folder), January 10

32

Suffolk Regional Office: Misc.Report by Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, "Issues Facing Public Education on Long
Island," March 1990

32

Syracuse Regional Office: CorrespondenceMeeting notice for Industrial Relations Research Association, Central New York Chapter, re
health and safety in the workplace, for November 29; In-Service Plan for Presentation by the
Teacher Evaluation Committee of the Model for Teacher Evaluation; memos from Jim Conti re
Auburn Teachers Association request for NYSUT legal intervention challenging recently passed
policy disallowing voting on labor contract matters by School Board members with relatives
employed by the district, related materials, including petition to the Commissioner of
Education, September-November; materials from state Attorney General's office re compliance
with "Right-to-Know" Law by Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES, April; memo to Jim Conti
reporting on dissolution of FNHP (Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals) Syracuse
Chapter, decline in membership since 1986 strike, legal and public relations implications,
July 10; memo informing Jim Conti that the FNHP Syracuse chapter had officially gone out of
business, October 3, with attached notice and remaining dues check; memo to NYSUT legal
counsel re seniority/tenure/layoff matter in Oswego BOCES district, October 22; letter from
state Department of Labor inviting application for funding for establishment of
labor-management committees, September 28; contractual agreement between the Board of
Education of the Syracuse City School District and the Syracuse Teachers Association, Inc.,
representing Unit 1, Teachers and Ancillary Services, effective January 1, 1988, to December
31, 1991; Commissioner of Education decision in application of a child with a handicapping
condition, question of whether Committee on Special Education must provide skilled nursing to
allow student to attend public school (appeal dismissed), June 11; review of document for
teachers accused of misconduct, with suggested changes from Jim Conti, June 25; memo from Jim
Conti re Benjamin-Rush contract remaining in force despite filing for decertification by
employer, July 19; memo re "epidemic" of school budget defeats in central New York, with
attached newspaper clippings, June 26; newspaper clipping re comparable worth efforts, June 3;
request for legal opinion on various matters re Onondaga Community College Federation of
Teachers, May- June; letter from NYSUT Regional Staff Director to state Department of Labor
Hazard Abatement Board requesting full funding of the CNYCOSH Training and Education Program
for 1990-91, February 13; materials re health and safety conditions at
Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES, March 7; letters from president of the North Syracuse
Education Association, complaining about "discourteous arrogant and snide" manner in which her
request for a legal consultation with NYSUT attorneys was refused, demanding refund of legal
expenses for private law firm, January 5 and 9; reply from NYSUT executive director Jim Wood,
January 26; memo to Jim Conti re approval to teach a course on contract bargaining at Cornell
University's ILR School, December 21, 1989

Utica Regional Office CorrespondenceReport and recommendations of a State Education Department 3020a hearing panel in Rome City
School District v. James Angelo, with cover memo from Jim Conti, February 12; letter from
president of Mohawk Teachers Association complaining of lack of support from NYSUT Public
Relations Department in helping with campaign for new building, January 19; reply from
Regional Staff Director, urging working with field representative, February 14; materials,
including medical report, of industrial arts teacher at New Hartford school district in
pending OSHA case, October

32

UUP CorrespondenceImproper Practice charge with PERB against SUNY Health Science Center by CSEA, notice of
conference for June 27; memo re PERB decision re Regents degree program, April 9; memo from
NYSUT counsel Bernard Ashe re physicians' request for legal counsel, particular vulnerability
to complaints to licensing authorities, June 22, with attached letter from chairman of the
governing board of Clinical Practice Management Plan, Downstate Medical Center, April 20;
letter from State Education Department to pharmacist at State University Hospital at
Stonybrook, informing him that he was being investigated for professional misconduct and
directing him to appear for an interview, February 14

32

RSD Memos (1 of 4)List of locals in each regional office, with field representatives and potential; list of
release time and compensation for local leaders, with cover memo advising that the process of
gathering the information was tedious, suggesting better alternatives, January 24, 1989;
related memos; Putnam/Westchester Counties Privileges of Bargaining Representatives 1987-88;
booklet for young people, "What Is a Union?" by Althea, Rourke Enterprises, 1981; poster
describing NYSUT leadership and regional offices, "Unparallel membership services in a times
of change"; memo re decision of Administrative Law Judge re Ithaca Teachers Association
distribution of Excellence In Teaching monies, November 30, 1989; text of keynote address of
AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland, 1989 AFL-CIO Convention, November 13, 1989; Bureau of
National Affairs articles re agency shop fees limited in California, drug testing, collective
bargaining for smoking policies; description of AFT training programs for Paraprofessional and
School-Related Personnel (PSRP) staff, October 16, 1989; "Performance Appraisal Redesign for
Teachers: A Report on Initial Efforts," recommended to the Superintendent of Schools and the
Rochester Teachers Association President by the Career in Teaching Joint Governing Panel,
September 1, 1989; memo re information bulleting, Excellence and Accountability Program,
October 3; lists of districts that had not yet filed 1989-90 EIT applications as of 9/27 and
9/28/89; memos from Jim Conti to Regional Staff Directors re decisions: Jamesville-DeWitt
Faculty Association v. Central School District (Denise England v. Board of Education et al.),
Baylis et al. v. Board of Education of Seaford Union Free School District, Schneider et al. v.
Sobol (Excellence In Teaching funds), Seaford; memo re Empire Plan Experience report for
January June 1989; memo re state employee health plan costs, with attached summary report
noting rise of 20 percent; memo to NYSUT local presidents of Special Act schools, August 25,
1989; administrative bulletin from New York State Teachers' Retirement System re employer
contribution rate for 1990-91 school year; brochure for conference by New York State Public
Sector Labor-Management Consortium, "Employee Participation in Decision Making," October 17,
1989; memos from Jim Conti re jury duty, September-October; text of legislation in the
Assembly re smoking regulations, with cover memo noting that NYSUT had not taken an official
position, September 8, 1989

32

RSD Memos (2 of 4)Newspaper clippings, Bureau of National Affairs articles, and U.S. Supreme Court cases, with
cover memo from Jim Conti to Regional Staff Directors, re Drug-Free Workplace Act; articles re
school consolidations, HMOs, taxing of health-insurance benefits; legal memo to NYSUT general
counsel Bernard Ashe re U.S. Supreme Court decision re disparate-impact claim in Wards Cove
Packing Company v. Atonio, with text of opinions, June 20; article from ILR Labor Relations
Review, Cornell University, "Organizing the Organizers: Professional Staff Unionism in the
American Labor Movement," July 1989, text of legal suit in U.S. Court of Appeals by Ad Hoc
Committee of Concerned Teachers on Behalf of Minor and Under-Age Students Attending Greenburgh
Eleven Union Free School District and on its own behalf, with cover memo noting allegation of
racially discriminatory employment practices, July 17; memo re EPA radon alert, May 2; memos
re jury duty, September-October; analysis in Wall St. Journal of impact of Beck decision re
union dues, July 13; summary of recent decisions re random drug testing, July 10; memo asking
for names of districts claiming fiscal crisis situations, July 10; copy of Provocator 4/89,
official publication of the Buffalo Teachers Federation (NEA), with cover memo from Jim Conti
to regional staff directors, June 29; decision by Illinois Appellate Court in Decatur Board of
Education et al. v. Illinois E.L.R.B. and Decatur E.A., re class size, June 26; booklets,
Voluntary Labor Arbitration Rules as amended and in effect January 1, 1988, by American
Arbitration Association, and Code of Professional Responsibility for Arbitrators of
Labor-Management Disputes of the National Academy of Arbitrators, American Arbitration
Association, and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, as amended and in effect May 29,
1985, with cover memo, June 21; summary highlights of the anti-smoking bills passed by the
state Assembly and Senate, with cover memo, June 21; Pocket Advisor: Drug Testing on the Job:
Know Your Rights, with cover memo from Jim Conti, for distribution to field representatives,
June 19; memos re middle-level education, with attached material from State Education
Department announcing Regents Challenge for Excellence in Middle-Level Education Program,
May-June; memo re rate-setting methodology for Special Act Schools and 863 Schools for 1989-90
tuition, with attached document from State Education Department, May-June; memo re Commercial
Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986, with attached overview of law and Model Driver's Manual for
Commercial Vehicle Driver licensing, January 15, 1989; legal memo from NYSUT general counsel
James Sander re UFT, PERB, et al. advs. NYC BOE, June 5; PERB decision CSEA et al. v. City of
Auburn, April 3; memo re smoking regulations at Rush-Henrietta school district, noting that
Appellate Court ruled that Commissioner's regulation supercedes PERB determination re
collective bargaining, June 7; State Education Department regulations re records retention and
disposition, with cover memo from Jim Conti, June 6; text of case re seniority, Christine
Szumigala v. Hicksville USFD BOE, June 5; memo re Employees' Retirement System savings to
local school districts, June 1; memo re availability of video, "Working in America: Hazardous
Duty," shown on ABC television, May 31; confidential memos re operational policy to follow
when 3020a charges are brought against a member, May 11 and 31; lists of school budget
defeats, May 15 and 30; memo re interim final rules for Drug-Free Workplace requirements, May
26; related memo, May 11; memos re new local presidents' conference, May; document by Civil
Service Department re cost containment strategies for public employers for health insurance
programs, with cover memo, May 10; decision in state Supreme Court in Seaford, May 3; memos re
Excellence in Teaching legal motions affecting distribution of monies, May 4 and March 17;
letter from chairman of PERB to NYSUT president Tom Hobart re location of administrative law
judge hearings under budget constraints, with cover letter from Jim Conti, May 3; NYSUT
Information Bulletins re certification, tenure, and a middle school teaching assignment, and
consultant teacher services, with cover memo, April 20

32

RSD Memos (3 of 4)See above

32

RSD Memos (4 of 4)See above

32

Uniserv Unit 5ALetter from chair of the 5A Coordinating Council and UNISERV liaison from Wappingers Central
School Faculty Association to NYSTA headquarters, urging that a sub-office of the mid-Hudson
region of unified locals be established for Poughkeepsie, June 21, 1972; 5A Council minutes of
January 8 and March 4, 1972, with attached activity reports; letter from 5A chair to president
of Scarsdale Teachers Association, congratulating him on unification vote, inviting him to
meeting, February 28, 1972, with attached activity reports; letter from East Greenbush
Teachers Association re decision to participate in formation of UNISERV 5A council, March 1,
1972; memo to UNISERV Coordinating Council noting "significant and important victory" by
NYSTA-NEA over AFT/UFT in Wappingers representation election, February 4, 1972; memo to
Elmsford Regional Office re Montrose contract, November 19, 1971; letters reminding locals of
Coordinating Council meetings; letter urging relocation of Fishkill meeting with Al Shanker,
to avoid lending credibility to visit, November 18, 1971; memo, Wappingers status report,
November 18, 1971; related correspondence re Wappingers organizing efforts, October

Uniserv Unit 14: A Jack Schamel (Corning)Letter from Shamel to NYSTA executive secretary asking whether he could have two weeks
vacation to run against Bill "Cadillac" Smith, and work part-time if elected to the state
Senate, March 29, 1972; memos to Shamel critiquing regional newsletter; memos re status of
Elmira Heights unification, December 1971; memo re structure, operation, and proposed budget
of Corning, Elmira, Horseheads UNISERV unit, April 7, 1971

32

Uniserv Utica Unit 8: A, Dan MahoneyCorrespondence re hiring of a non-certified teacher to fill a kindergarten position over the
application of several certified teachers in the Owen D. Young Central School District, August
1972; memo to members of Coordinating Council summarizing June 15 meeting; memo from Mahoney
re "rotten" settlements and fact-finding reports in Oneida County, June 1, 1972, with attached
PERB fact-finder's report and recommendations for Clinton and New Hartford school districts;
correspondence re arbitration hearing for retroactive pay for teachers, April-May 1972; memo
to Mahoney pointing out high number of long-distance calls, directing him to limit calls to
Albany office to no more than once per day, May 9, 1972; request from Mahoney for funding of
$39/yr for Utica office subscription to daily newspaper to keep fully informed of local
events, May 10, 1972; memo to Mahoney, suggesting that he continue to purchase Utica Daily
Press on a weekly or monthly basis, May 22, 1972; memo to Mahoney directing him to curtail
high clerical overtime despite need to catch up, February 28, 1972; memo to Mahoney refusing
request for bookcase, citing budget constraints, May 5, 1972; repeat request from Mahoney,
discussing negative effect on work of lack of basic furnishings, May 9, 1972; memo from
Mahoney to Albany office, copied to Syracuse Regional Office, asking who could be contacted to
obtain paper clips, noting several-week wait after request for basic office supplies, February
23, 1972; memo to Albany office re Utica office needs, noting use of cardboard boxes and
orange crates as makeshift furniture, October 5, 1971; request for lease-purchase of
typewriter for Utica office, December 20, 1971; list of furniture items requested by Utica
office, annotated as to urgency, January 20, 1972; related correspondence

Uniserv AdministrationList of 1975-76 UniServ service centers July 22, 1975; updated list, July 22, 1975; Urban
Executive Directors Association Special Task Force on "Collective Bargaining of Uniserv
Agreements" Report of Recommendations, with cover letter to UniServ state contacts, noting
that the Advisory Committee totally rejected it, n.d.; request from NYSUT regional services
director to National Education Association in Washington for allocation of 158 UniServ units
in New York State, based on probability of 190,000 members post-unification, and one
representative to serve every 1200 members, with attached plan for administrative support,
April 11, 1973

Uniserv Staff Utilization ProgramDocument distributed to all state UniServ coordinators, "UniServ Staff Utilization Program
1975-1976"; list of UniServ staff member on-call for New York State, June 12, 1975; monthly
list of staff assigned, June 16, 1975; related memos, including note about reimbursement
problems, August 11 and 15; memo announcing 20-day-per-year time obligation to NEA by UniServ
reps, system for month of on-call duty, August 19, 1974

Uniserv Re: Master Staffing AgreementAgreements between NEA and NYSUT for Unified Staff Service Program, October 1, 1974, and
September 14, 1973

32

Uniserv Policies and StaffingGuidelines for UniServ training, March 14, 1974; NYSUT memo, "The Future of UNISERV,"
outlining questions for discussion re future staffing patterns and the positive and negative
aspects of staying with the UniServ program, January 3, 1973, with attached letter
anticipating that NYSUT/NYCT would not be implementing a UniServ program in the next year,
November 6, 1972; list of staffing pattern, September 1, 1973; related staffing projections
for 1972-73; tentative working draft, UniServ Policy Implementation; Unified Staff Service
Program to Local Associations, UNISERV Policy Guidelines adopted by the NEA Board of
Directors, February 1971; Unified Staff Service Program to Local Associations, "UNISERV" Local
Unit Operational Standards

32

Uniserv TrainingMaterials re Survive and Thrive training session, Models for Management, Crisis Management,
Consultant Training, Speaking for Teachers (including media relations and community advocacy,
e.g., "issue conversion" and "tactical redirect": how to change the subject to a more
favorable position for the NEA), Political Action and Lobbying, related training

Uniserv UnitsLists of units, locals, and member totals served by individual staff and service centers;
description of service centers, under heading, "Justification for Sparsity Uniserv Units,"
with attached Sparsity and/or Hardship Application for UniServ

UnificationDetailed document outlining stages of unification campaign for NYSTA and NEA; status reports
for various locals/clusters; study by Watertown Education Association on the pro's and con's
of unification, "The Unification Question," with recommendation to unify with NEA; letters
assigning staff to various regional offices for campaign; booklet, "Facts about Unification,"
by National Education Association; brochure, "NEA Serves Teachers"; related correspondence

Unification Dues Guarantee ReimbursementApplication for reimbursement from the NEA for Hewlett-Woodmere Faculty Association,
December 3, 1974; related requests; letter re administrative difficulties in obtaining
reimbursement for loss of dues from NEA following unification, partly because of poor record
keeping by locals, partly because of NEA's changing the rules, December 3, 1973; memo to
regional coordinators outlining eight-step procedures for dues reimbursement, with attached
January 3 memo and relevant section of agreement with NEA, August 24, 1973; printout of NYSUT
1972-73 membership report (adds, deletes) by local as of May 31, 1973; memo to field
representative re dues reimbursement, June 8, 1973; memos to local presidents re dues
reimbursement

33

Unification Albany S.C.: Local Assn ReportsReports of votes for unification from each local, with effective dates and number of
potential members

33

Unification Buffalo S.C: Local Assn ReportsReports of votes for unification from each local, with effective dates and number of
potential members; list of three-way unified locals in the Buffalo Regional Office

33

Unification Elmsford S.C. Local Assn. ReportsReports of votes for unification from each local, with effective dates and number of
potential members

33

Unification Jericho S.C. Local Assn. ReportsReports of votes for unification from each local, with effective dates and number of
potential members

33

Unification Potsdam S.C. Local Assn. ReportReports of votes for unification from each local, with effective dates and number of
potential members

33

Unification Rochester S.C. Local Assn. ReportReports of votes for unification from each local, with effective dates and number of
potential members

33

Unification Syracuse S.C. Local Assn. ReportReports of votes for unification from each local, with effective dates and number of
potential members

33

Unification Vestal S.C. Local Assn. ReportReports of votes for unification from each local, with effective dates and number of
potential members

Uniserv Re: Training ProgramsLetter criticizing NEA Washington-based training and trainers as unaware of and unresponsive
to the needs of New York locals, September 25, 1972; response, outlining corrective measures,
September 29; excerpt from leadership training materials; letters approving use of UniServ
funds for individual participation in training sessions; document, "Criteria for Approval of
Use of UniServ Funds for Institutes Sponsored by the City University of New York: The Teacher
Leadership Program," with attached memo denying application

33

Uniserv Evaluation Form and SheetSatisfaction survey re various aspects of UniServ staff performance

33

Uniserv EvaluationFilled-out program evaluation surveys

33

Uniserv: Report of the Uniserv Evaluation Task ForceReport to NEA Board of Directors

33

Travel Advance Uniserv RepsAdministrative memos

33

Uniserv Guidelines, As Amended by NEA Board of DirectorsDocument, "Policy & Administrative Guidelines," including Unified Staff Service
Program to Local Associations, "UNISERV," Policy Guidelines, adopted by the NEA Board of
Directors, February 1971 and amended October 1, 1971, and UniServ Employment Practices
Guidelines, with attached cover memo re Board of Directors Actions re Sparsity Grants,
November 5, 1971; Appendix A, re staff assignments; draft outline of program aspects of state
UniServ units; 1975-76 UniServ Agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) for the 151 UniServ
units in New York State, September 17, 1975; Unified Service Program "UniServ" Agreement New
York State, October 1, 1974, with cover memos re UniServ contract, September 24 and September
30, 1974

33

Uniserv Memorandum of UnderstandingMemorandum of understanding between NEA and NYSUT; agreement between NEA, NYSTA, and CUNY
(City University of New York), June 1971

33

Uniserv Contract1974-75 and 1975-76 Memorandum of Understanding between NEA and NYSUT

Uniserv (The Meaning of Unification for the Teaching
Professions)Booklet presented at a meeting of the National Council of State Education Associations, by
Ralph Joy, executive director of the Des Moines Education Association

33

Uniserv NEA Research Information for Uniserv UnitsStatistical data sheets: "Status of Teachers and NEA Members," by race, gender, marital
status, political affiliation, income, level of education of NEA members vs. all U.S.
classroom teachers, 1972-1975; "Implications of 1974 Teacher Supply and Demand Conditions for
Association Services," May 1975; "Status of Uniserv Units and Uniserv Personnel, 1970-71,"
December 1971; "Status of the American Public School Teacher, 1970-71: Preliminary Report of
Highlights," November 1971; "Recent Negotiation Settlements Update," November 1971

33

Uniserv Planning (NYSTA)NYSTA "Proposals for an Expanded Program to Strengthen Local Teachers Associations:
Preliminary staff report dealing with recommendations for a specific program of action to
strengthen local teachers associations," August 1964; "Policy Guidelines for 'UNISERV'"
(Final) April 22, 1970; UNISERV Concept frequently asked questions; "A Proposal for a Unified
Staff Service Program (UNISERV) to the Board of Directors of the New York State Teachers
Association," May 1971; letter to NEA re action by the Board of Directors of the New York
State Teachers Association approving a master state-wide plan for implementation of UniServ,
with details and attached agreement for approval, May 27, 1971; related correspondence

UniservProposed NCUEA Recommendations for UNISERV to NEA Executive Committee and Board of
Directors, March 23, 1973, asserting that national system had become disconnected to needs of
locals and teachers; first draft, "UniServ Information System," re building comprehensive data
file on UniServ personnel; "Guidelines for Completing Dues Guarantee Membership Agreement
Form"; memos re training and staffing

33

NEA: Basic Summer Training Program for New Uniserv StaffMemo re NEA Leadership Development Academy for new UniServ staff

Uniserv 2AMaterials re Great Neck Teachers Association, including letter informing NEA of decision by
GNTA Executive Board to withhold dues because of lack of service provided since unification,
March 9, 1972; letter from the director of the national UniServ Office to the New York State
Teachers Association expressing thorough dismay over the draft agreement with the Great Neck
Teachers Association in that it provided no NEA involvement in decisions, especially related
to hiring, and provided too much service to the local, October 19, 1971, with attached draft
agreement; other drafts; correspondence re hiring UniServ staff; Great Neck Teachers
Association proposed budget for two-year period ending June 30, 1972; letter indicating
inclination to unify, April 23, 1971

Uniserv Training Account (folder 2 of 3)Computer printouts of training days by NYSUT staff, including balances on accounts

34

Uniserv Training Account (folder 3 of 3)Invoices for training and other Uniserv-related expenses

34

Public Employees Federation (PEF) Constitution and BylawsPrinted constitution and bylaws as amended at the 1980 Convention; legal analysis of PEF
constitution and by-laws as they related to agreement between PEF, SEIU, and AFT, with cover
letter from attorneys to AFT president Al Shanker, January 23, 1980; second draft of proposed
by-laws; constitution and bylaws; material from Statewide Coalition for a Democratic Union,
alleging deficiencies in PEF constitution and by-laws, with attached SCDU proposed version of
constitution and bylaws

PEF CasesDetermination of Impartial Umpire under the AFL-CIO Internal Disputes Plan, in the matter
between Public Employees Federation (American Federation of Teachers / Service Employees
International Union) and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, January
7, 1980 (Article XX case), with cover letter from AFL-CIO president Lane Kirkland to SEIU
president George Hardy; Court of Appeals opinion in the matter of the Civil Service Employees
Association, Inc., respondent-appellant, vs. PERB and PEF, March 27, 1979; summons in NYS
Supreme Court by John Kraemer and PEF against William L. McGowan, Civil Service Employees
Association; related legal briefs and correspondence; newspaper clippings; press release from
governor's office, March 12, 1979; PERB decision in Westbury Union Free School District and
Westbury Teachers' Association, respondents, and Albert Hardy, et al., November 8, 1979;
briefs and memoranda in PEF escrow case, January February 1980

PEF Proposals and Agreement (2 of 2)Memorandum on PEF Wage Package from SEIU Greater New York Joint Council Number 11, January
24, 1979; text of legislation in Extraordinary Session of Senate-Assembly showing schedule of
Civil Service salary increases by job title, November 1, 1979; Positions Filled in New York
under Direct Jurisdiction of Department of Civil Service; exhibits, showing salaries for job
titles, 1978; differences in mean annual average salaries for selected professional and
technical occupations: March 1972- March 1978; press release from State Investigation
Commission, "SIC Reports on Protection of No-Show Employee by Department of Labor" (re PEF
president John Kraemer) July 30, 1979; articles of agreement; handwritten notes on PEF
negotiations

34

NYS PEFMemo to PEF Executive Board and staff re contract negotiations, with attached summary of
contract demands, December 4, 1981; survey questionnaire for contract, September 24, 1981;
proposed structure for contract negotiations, February 19; New York State Public Employees
Federation AFL-CIO 1982 Contract Demands; memos re dental coverage under Public Employees
Benefit Fund, April; memo from director of staff Ron Peretti re out-of-title grievance
procedure, February 20; memo from Peretti re lack of communication over doctors' forty-hour
grievance; other memos from Peretti; memos from secretary-treasurer Constance Cabell re
austerity budget, September 24, dues structure, February 24; letter from Cabell to Jim Conti
asking if PEF could obtain research services from NYSUT free of charge, January 8; balance
sheet for April 1 August 31, 1981; memo from the state Office of Mental Health re absenteeism
control, with cover memo to all PEF field staff and regional coordinators, July 6; memo from
the Office of the State Comptroller to all state departments and agencies re payment of
performance advances, with PEF cover memo, August 31; memo re Civil Service attendance rules
re Martin Luther King holiday as option in lieu of Election Day, August 31; memo re vacancies
in Research Division, with job descriptions and salaries, February 18; memo to PEF filed staff
and officers explaining position classifications under Civil Service, January 13; flyers for
PS&T United campaign and related newspaper clippings; newsletters and correspondence
of Coalition of Nurses in State Service (CONISS), paper, "RN's Unionization is Necessary for
Survival but?? Is Survival Enough?" July 1981; memo re special election for PEF vice
president, December 23, 1980; memo to negations chairman from chair of subcommittee on wages,
September 1, 1981

PEF Convention, Concord Hotel.October 11-13, Kiamesha Lake, NY. Proposed Amendments to the Constitution of the New York
State Public Employees Federation, AFL-CIO, prepared for the Third Annual Convention, October
12-14, 1981; Executive Board Proposed Agenda, October 11, 1981; letter to PEF president
Kraemer from PS&T United chair accusing him of McCarthyism in attacking the group's
challenge for representation, September 14, 1981, related newspaper clipping; reactions to PEF
field services staff workshop, June 25

34

PEFSteward Manual and cover letter, November 2, 1981; memo re PEF support for PATCO
(Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization) strike, August 13, 1981; brief summary of
purpose and goals of Women's Program; newspaper clippings; letter from individual in Buffalo
objecting with "disgust and repugnance" to standard labor salutation, "Dear Brothers and
Sisters," in a letter from PEF president Kraemer, September 15; newsletter of Statewide
Coalition for a Democratic Union (SCDU), calling for impeachment of PEF president Kraemer,
July 1, 1981

PEF: Pelletier (E. Taylor)Correspondence re teacher at West Seneca Developmental Center on extended probation, later
fired for using office copier for union activity, attempts to have him reinstated, dispute
with PEF and NYSUT over legal representation of case

34

Public Employees Federation (PEF) Review CommitteeMinutes of December 3, 1980, Review Committee meeting; confidential memo from Jim Conti,
director of NYSUT Field Service Operations, to chair of the PEF Review Committee, to discuss
services by NYSUT available to PEF, January 15, 1981; proposed PEF organization charts,
January 7 and 20, 1981; memo to PEF Review Committee from Elizabeth Hoke, regional
coordinator, Region 9, re her perspective of duties, with handwritten, highly negative
comments in the margins, November 11, 1980; agenda for Review Committee meeting of March 11,
1981; agreement between PEF, AFT and SEIU, August 30, 1979, revised September 5, 1979;
description of Public Employee Benefit Fund Direct Payment Plan, effective November 1, 1981;
memo from PEF president John Kraemer to Executive Board members, regional coordinators, and
officers, re performance advance grievance settlement, November 12, 1981; memos re contract
negotiations; memo from Kraemer re status of proposed layoffs by the state Labor Department,
July 6, 1981; materials re petition for representation election filed by Professional,
Scientific and Technical Services Negotiating Unit (PS&T United), letter from Kraemer
warning of possible fraudulent anti-union affiliation, August 1981, letter from state
negotiating team refusing to begin work on next contract as long as potential challenge
existed from PS&T, May 1981; letter from Kramer urging that no one sign representation
cards from PS&T, noting that state determined that public employees' names and
addresses be furnished to PS&T, April 30, 1981; PEF press release re PS&T
challenge, link with NEA, March

34

Public Employees FederationMinutes of Executive Board meetings of February 20, October 12, and November 5, 1980,
November 7, 1979; proposed model constitution for divisions, guidelines, application forms;
PEF affirmative action policy; Resolution on the Italian Earthquake, relief efforts; materials
re membership benefits program; newspaper clippings re PEF president John Kraemer as target of
no-show probe, union criticism of Gov. Carey's Labor Department commissioner appointment as
"absolutely unfit," other issues; Region One Steering Committee report on (second) PEF state
convention, 1980; convention resolutions; Resolutions Committee reports; memo re spending
freeze at PEF, November 5, 1980; Ethics and Responsibility Committee report, November 5;
letters from the chair of the Ethics and Responsibility Committee to members who brought
grievances, October 23; An Education/Action Program for a Safe Energy/Full Employment Society
submitted by the Sponsors of the First National Labor Conference for Safe Energy and Full
Employment, against nuclear power, October 10-12, 1980; description of divisions as written in
the original PEF constitution and amended by the Second Convention; letter to PEF president
Kraemer from the Coalition of Nurses in State Service (CONISS), asserting that creation of
advisory committee within the Departments of Mental Hygiene and Mental Retardation would not
address problem of poor recruitment and retention of nurses at all state agencies, instead
recommending 15 proposals, including raising starting salary of RNs to $16,380, November 5;
PEF Legislative News newsletter; legislative memos in support of various bills; legislative
report re state budget, defeat of onerous proposals, March 13, 1980; transcript of rebuttal by
PEF vice president to radio editorial (WINS 1010) re closure of mental institutions, funding
of community-based housing, April 17; Mental Health Task Force Bulletin and legislative
memorandum; task force Update newsletter, May; procedures for filing a grievance petition; PEF
press release reacting to Gov. Carey's announcement of plans to lay off 5,000 state workers,
April 8; related newspaper clippings; Report to the Executive Board: Resolutions of the First
Annual Convention, February 20, 1980; materials, including letters and sworn statements re
legal dispute between PEF president Kraemer and Department of Environmental Conservation
(PEF/EnCon) constituent representative and Executive Board member Michael Keenan, unilaterally
removed by Kraemer, January-February; PEF constitution and by-laws; Report of Trustees re
audit, December 12, 1979; constitution of AFT; PEF schedules by certified public accountants
for the period ended September 30, 1979; certification of results of contract ratification
election for collective bargaining agreement negotiated between PEF and the State of New York,
December 20, 1979; insurance information update, February 19, 1980; order to show cause on
injunction with temporary restraining order affecting board members of the Department of
Mental Hygiene, with cover letter from Kraemer, January 31, 1980

34

PEFRate sheet for ads in various newspapers; open letters (text of ad?) to all PEF members,
Governor Carey, legislators, re contract negotiations, c. August; letter to PERB re breakdown
of mediation process, July 31; letters from PEF president Kraemer to PEF leadership re
contract negotiations, March-July; "How a Bill Becomes a Law," flowchart by New York State
AFL-CIO Legislative Department; New York State AFL-CIO 1977-78 Labor Voting Record for Senate
and Assembly; monthly legislative report by Public Employee Department of AFL-CIO for 95th
Congress; Statement by the AFL-CIO Executive Council on Opposition to a Constitutional
Convention, February 19; fact sheet, Universal Social Security Coverage for Public Employees;
New York State AFL-CIO legislative memoranda endorsing and opposing various pending bills,
March 6; New York State AFL-CIO Legislative Program 1979; memo to PEF leadership from
president Kraemer re decision by Court of Appeals over representation dispute with CSEA,
February 16, related materials; confidential memo to PEF leadership from president Kraemer re
$12 million PEF lawsuit against CSEA, appeal by PERB re card-check representation, February 1;
statement at press conference by Kraemer re PEF lawsuit against CSEA for libel over no-show
allegations, related press release, January 30

35

PEF CorrespondenceMemo calculating legitimate fee to charge PEF for housing a representative in a NYSUT
office, January 15, 1979; letter to Jim Conti inviting him to attend as a guest the founding
convention for PEF, August 30, 1979; letter from Vito De Leonardis to counsel requesting
incorporation of procedures for election of Executive Board and related matters into PEF
governing documents, May 29, 1979; memo from director of state Employee Relations Office to
staff re transition from CSEA to Public Employees Federation (PEF) as bargaining agent for
technical employees, April 2; job application for PEF field service rep, March 12; certified
letter to NYSUT (De Leonardis, Conti, O'Leary) from group of PEF members, the
Interdepartmental PEF Coalition, demanding more input and information about decision making,
June 7, 1978; PERB decision denying CSEA's application to reopen certification of PEF, with
cover letter to Jim Conti from NYSUT general counsel James Sandner, November 20, 1979; related
court decision and cover letter, February 16, 1979; Memorandum of Understanding from director
of state Office of Employee Relations to officers re new three-year agreement with PEF,
November 8, 1979, with cover memo to Jim Conti from SEIU; memo to PEF members re improved life
and disability insurance plans offered by PEF, January 1979; memo from state budget office,
"Fiscal Guidelines for the Remainder of State Fiscal Year 1979-80"; New York State Public
Employees Federation Tentative Contract Agreement, April 1, 1979-March 31, 1982, with summary
of highlights and cover letter to members

35

PEF Correspondence: Joe KraemerEnvelopes marked "Exhibit A," "Exhibit B," "Exhibit C," containing brochures for PEF
insurance plans, and cover letter from PEF president John Kraemer to Jim Conti; 1980 Report of
the Political Action Committee, with cover memo to PEF Executive Board from PEF president
Kraemer; memo to PEF Executive Board from PEF president Kraemer re upcoming Executive Board
meeting, with attached agenda calling for reports from various committees, and list of PEF
membership by department, July 23, 1980; similar meeting notice, May 1; letter from Kraemer to
state Office of Employee Relations re tentative agreement between state and specialized state
schools (for deaf and blind) in Batavia and Rome, June 2, 1980; letters re restraining order
against change by Civil Service of job title from teacher to developmental specialist,
implications for 10-month work year, March-April 1980; letter from Kraemer to doctors at
Mental Health agencies explaining proposed increase in salary schedule, January 31, 1980;
correspondence between Kraemer and other members of the Executive Board re controversy over
seating representatives of the Department Mental Hygiene on the board, injunction by member of
the Department of Social Services, January 1980; year-end report from John O'Leary re contract
grievances, discipline cases, training, unresolved problems, January 4, 1980; report from John
O'Leary to Kraemer re alternative discipline procedure Section 33.5 (f), negotiated in the PEF
contract, January 17, 1980

35

PEF Correspondence: Ron PerettiConfidential PEF status reports to Kraemer from PEF staff director Ron Peretti, December
1980; letter to Kraemer from Ron Peretti asserting that, as previously agreed, he had sent a
blind carbon copy to Robert Payne of all his outgoing letters, which Payne denied receiving,
and had never received any copies of outgoing mail from Payne, which Payne said he sent,
December 11, 1980; confidential PEF report from Ron Peretti to NYSUT executive director Vito
DeLeonardis and field services director Jim Conti, December 16, 1980; coordinator's report
from Peretti to De Leonardis re PEF and Kraemer's political troubles, November 20, 1980; other
detailed monthly reports on PEF from Peretti to De Leonardis, some confidential (discussing
Kraemer and Payne), some copied to Payne, April-October; material re Beverly Paigen / Love
Canal case, advising against providing legal representation, for political reasons, February
1980; correspondence between Peretti and attorney Arnold Proskin re communication problems,
September 1980

35

PEF Correspondence: Jim ContiLetter from Jim Conti to PEF secretary-treasurer re sharing research resources, January 13,
1981; letters from Jim Conti to PEF secretary-treasurer accepting invitations to attend its
first and second conventions, September 18, 1979, and September 3, 1980; Civil Service
classification standards, with cover letter to Jim Conti, February 5, 1979; correspondence
with PEF president John Kraemer re salary schedule for new unit, with attached enabling
legislation, November 1979; letter to PEF president Kraemer from director of state Office of
Employee Relations, agreeing to remove moratorium on titles in the unit, November 6, 1979; New
York State Public Employees Federation Tentative Contract Agreement, April 1, 1979-March 31,
1982, with summary of highlights and cover letter to members; memo from Jim Conti to Vito De
Leonardis re PEF budget for 1980-81; letter from Jim Conti to president of United University
Professions (UUP) re meeting to discuss upcoming negotiations, July 22, 1981; letter from
Local 144 of the Hotel, Hospital, Nursing Home & Allied Health Services Union, May 19,
1980, question of whether office staff of West Hempstead school district were in a separate
unit; letter from a staff attorney with state Ag & Markets requesting that certain
requirements imposed on legal staff be brought up in negotiations, June 4, 1979, with reply
from Jim Conti referring matter to John O'Leary, PEF staff director; memo from Jim Conti to
NYSUT president Tom Hobart re potential PEF and UUP challenges, June 10, 1981; correspondence
with Jeff Turner of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) re compensation data, July
26, 1979; material from Turner re compensation proposals for unclassified professionals at
special schools (physicians at mental health agencies), March 1980; a letter from PEF
president Kraemer correspondence with Elizabeth Hoke, PEF Mid-Hudson Regional Coordinator, re
attending meeting, sending letter to technicians in organizing campaign in Denver,
February-June, 1980; list of names and addresses of members of CONISS, from Elizabeth Hoke,
September 1980; confidential correspondence re New York State School for the Blind, September
18, 1980; correspondence with John Kraemer, president of PEF, and Jules Nadell, Council
Leader, re Downstate Medical Center job titles and classifications, antipathy between UUP and
PEF, February-November 1981; confidential letter from Jim Conti to PEF president John Kraemer
advising against assigning legal representation for Roswell Park scientist and Love Canal
whistleblower Beverly Paigen due to political nature of her case, possible negative publicity
for PEF and NYSUT, damage to relationship with state agencies and legislature, February 25,
1980; related correspondence, in agreement, between NYSUT president Tom Hobart and executive
director Vito De Leonardis; letter to Kraemer re negotiation requests for 4201 schools,
including salary schedules and differentials for major metropolitan areas, May 19, 1981;
related correspondence; SCDU (Statewide Coalition for a Democratic Union) newsletters urging
rejection of contract proposal, November 20, 1979, with cover letter to Kraemer from Jim
Conti; letter from Jim Conti to PERB deputy chairman Jerome Lefkowitz, opposing proposed rule
allowing creation of new bargaining units by petition of 30 percent of members in a job
category, noting that PEF alone encompassed 2,500 job titles, April 23, 1980; text of new
salary schedule as an amendment to Civil Service law in extraordinary session of the
Senate-Assembly, November 1, 1979; PEF Tentative Contract Agreement, April 1, 1970-March 31,
1982, with summary and cover letter from PEF president Kraemer urging ratification; memo re
Labor Department citation of Horseheads Central School District for failure to pay minimum
wage to its teachers aides, July 16, 1981; confidential memo from Jim Conti re correspondence
between State Education Department and Batavia School for the Blind, concern over procedure
for addition of new staff, process for referral of PEF issues to NYSUT, September 1980; letter
from member to PEF president Kraemer, copied to Albert Shanker, expressing concern over lack
of legal assistance, with cover memo from Jim Conti, June-September 1980; letters to PEF
Executive Board and president Kraemer from member requesting legal representation, complaining
of lack of response, December 1979-July 1980; PEF proposed salary schedule for Rome-Batavia
schools, March 11, 1980; outline of organizing training materials for PEF field
representatives; correspondence re other training

35

PEF Correspondence: John O'LearyCorrespondence re legal representation for Beverly Paigen, cancer research scientist at
Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo, who exposed deficiencies in the Department of
Health's report on hazards to residents from the Love Canal chemical waste site, and was
apparently being professionally harassed by Commissioner of Health David Axelrod, December
1979; monthly reports; letter from O'Leary resigning his position as PEF staff director, as
planned, December 18, 1979; memos re PEF agency fee refund, November 7, and PEF tentative
agreement re salary, November 19; document, "PEF Sold Correctional Personnel Down the River,"
by Rand Condell, October 4; memos from O'Leary to Jim Conti re discipline and arbitration
cases, August; thank-you letters to various NYSUT staff for assistance, August; Improper
Practice Charge by PEF against state Office of Employee Relations, July; memos from O'Leary to
NYSUT Executive Director Vito De Leonardis re increase in requests for legal assistance,
difficulty in obtaining a quick response from staff attorneys to even the simplest question,
need for dedicated attorney for PEF, July 9; status of contract arbitrations, July 9; memos re
office expenses, space needs, May 11 and June 22; memo to PEF staff re non-contract
grievances, May 7; memo from O'Leary to PEF representatives re strike at Department of
Corrections, procedures for proving an employee was not on strike, May 4; memo re dues
increase, April 24; memo re steward training, April 17; memos discussing procedures for
handling different types of grievances, April; memo reporting on meeting re grievances with
the state Office of Employee Relations, April 9; memo to PEF staff re litigation with CSEA
over PERB's certification of PEF, February 14

PEFAgenda for PEF meeting, September 27, 1978; list of members of Wage & Policy
Committee; proposed interim executive board; Agreement and Declaration of Trust Establishing
the Public Employees Federation Group Benefits Program, September 26, 1978; memo from Jim
Conti to John Kraemer and Vito De Leonardis re agency fee rebate program, August 15;
hand-delivered letter from NYSUT general counsel to NYS Comptroller Arthur Levitt re deduction
of dues and agency fees on behalf of Public Employees Federation, September 25; hand-delivered
letter from NYSUT general counsel to state Office of Employee Relations, re PEF position on
several issues, requesting meeting for orderly transition from CSEA to PEF representation of
public employees, September 25; resolutions passed at the NYS Public Employees Federation
Steering Committee meeting, September 21; balance sheet for November 1977 through August 1978;
financial statement by certified public accountants (with disclaimer) for November 1977
through August 1978; proposed PEF budget; job group breakout sheet; list of Number of Persons
in each Federal Occupational Category by State Agency, July 20, 1978; map of NYS Department of
Health regional offices; memo from PEF president John Kraemer to PEF Steering Committee, re
"To Do Immediately upon Certification," September 20; PERB decision in the matter of State of
New York (Office of Employee Relations), employer, and Public Employees Federation, AFL-CIO,
petitioner, and Civil Service Employees Association, Inc., intervenor, overruling objections
filed by CSEA and letting stand election won by PEF, July 20, 1978; PERB Certification of
Representative and Order to Negotiate, certifying PEF as exclusive bargaining agent, September
27, 1978; related legal briefs; announcement from John Kraemer, PEF Certified by PERB,
September 28; memo to PEF staff re steward training, grievance response, September 29; memo to
Jim Conti comparing dues and per capita charges of NYSUT and SEIU, calculation of PEF proposed
dues/per capitas, March 8, 1979; related drafts of PEF by-laws re per capitas; minutes of
Interim Grievance Committee, September 28; materials re life and health insurance, October;
tentative list, Interim Executive Board, August 10, 1978; Report of Vice President Solomon
Bendet to CSEA Board of Directors, January 11, 1979, re infiltration of CSEA by AFSCME, danger
of takeover and dissolution

PEF Executive Board Meetings (Jim Conti)February, 1981. Minutes of February 8-9, 1981 [mismarked 1980], meeting; minutes of PEF
special Executive Board meeting, December 11, 1980; committee reports (Ethics &
Responsibility, Public Relations); SEIU Steward's Manual; brochures, "The Real Tax Crisis and
What You Can Do About It: SEIU Guide to State and Local Tax Reform," "Senior Membersand your
local union," and "Your Uniona two-pronged drive for Equality, Security, and Justice";
brochure re apprenticeship training program; brochure and poster from the National Conference
of Christians and Jews for Brotherhood Week

35

PEF Executive Board Meetings (Jim Conti)August 29, 1979. Agenda; minutes of April 4, 1979, meeting; printed Memorandum of
Understanding Relating to Evaluation and Promotion Systems for Professional Employees in the
State University of New York, United University Professions, April 1977; convention report;
description of composition of Executive Board; legislative report; proposed PEF budget; PEF's
key bargaining demands; audited statement of cash receipts and disbursements for initial
period ended July 31, 1979; PEF constitution, August 27, 1979; American Arbitration
Association and Public Employees Federation Official Tally Sheet, with results filled in
(original)

Vito De Leonardis Coordinator's ReportsOctober, 1978. Reports to NYSUT executive director Vito DeLeonardis: from Ron Uba (Western
New York Regional Office) re organizing, negotiations, other issues, October 17, 1978; UUP
report from executive director Evelyn Hartman, October 20; document by the New York Educators
Association (NYEA)/National Education Association (NEA)-SUNY Organizing Committee,
"Comparisons: A Guide to the Organizations and the Issues in the Forthcoming Election for the
Right to Represent the SUNY Faculty and Staff in Collective Bargaining"; report from Vinnie
Grove (Utica Regional Office) re negotiations, organizing, NYEA activity, other issues,
October 19; VOTE/COPE contribution totals statewide; reports from Mid-Hudson, Suffolk, other
regional offices

35

Coordinator's ReportsSeptember, 1978. Agenda for Coordinator's Meeting, September 20, 1978; memos to Vito
DeLeonardis from Dr. John F. DeGregorio (Suffolk) re negotiations, strike decision at three
locals, West Babylon, Rocky Point, and Riverhead, September 18, and negotiations, September
11; letter from NYSUT secretary-treasurer Herb Magidson to local presidents re membership
reporting kit, September 5; memo to Dean Streiff from Hal White re transfer of life insurance
from NEA to AFT for locals returning to NYSUT affiliation, September 18; personal and
confidential Mid-Hudson report from Stanley H. Kern to Vito DeLeonardis re negotiations,
challenges by NYEA in Saugerties, community college activities, September 8; monthly report
from Chuck Rodgers (Vestal) re Ithaca College, other activities, September 13; Nassau Regional
Office reports from John O'Leary re negotiations, organizing, C. W. Post adjunct election,
September 11 and August 30; brief report on UUP from Evelyn Hartman, materials re challenge by
NYEA for SUNY representation, September 11; activity reports from Ray Samson re organizing at
Community College of the Finger Lakes, Rochester Teachers Association crisis management
workshop, other issues; report from Ron Uba, Western NY, re community colleges, Jamestown,
Buffalo, September 8; report from Vinnie Grove, re Herkimer County BOCES negotiations, others,
September 11; report from Tony Ficcio re good settlement at Pratt Institute, last-minute
aversion of strike by lay faculty at Nazareth Regional High School, need to get stewards for
PEF on every floor of World Trade Center, September 11; report by Robert J. Allen re NYEA
situation at North Country Community College, Clinton Community College, other issues,
September 19; memo from Frank Squillace re success in organizing West Genesee United Teacher
Aides and Assistants, August 29; memo from Jim Conti re organizing competition with NYEA in
representation elections at Niagara Community College, Genesee Community College, Jamestown
Community College, September 19; article reprint, "Reinstatement after Termination: Public
School Teachers," Charlotte Gold, et al., Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 1978, Cornell
University; memo re NEA life insurance cash value, need to tell prospective members they could
keep these permanent benefits if they switched to NYSUT/AFT life insurance plan, September 18;
survey, Coordinators' Views on PR Programs, asking what NYSUT's top goal should be in public
relations, related questions; questionnaire for local presidents re staffing situation,
affiliation status of paraprofessionals, to be returned by November 1, 1978

35

Coordinator's ReportsAugust, 1978. Memo to regional service center coordinators re contacts for New York Teacher
newsletter articles, August 19; regional report from John O'Leary (Nassau) re negotiations,
activities of locals, August 7; memo from Leon Lieberman re potential strikes in Troy and
Schenectady, NYEA activity in several districts, August 2; report from R. J. Allen (North
Country) re negotiations in the Thousand Islands, impasses in other districts, NYEA activity,
self-insurance attempt in St. Lawrence County, with attached letter from NYS Insurance
Department advising that action would be illegal, July 7; report from Dr. John F. DeGregorio,
Suffolk Service Center, re strikes at four locals, East Islip, West Islip, Lindenhurst, and
Middle Country; report from Vinnie Grove re negotiations (Utica Service Center), August 4;
monthly report from Chuck Rodgers, Southern Tier Regional Office, re organizing, bargaining,
and other current developments, including death of colleague, August 10, with attached
newsletter, Vestal-Elmira News & Views, 1/16/78; UUP report from Evelyn Hartman,
August 11

35

Coordinator's ReportsMay/June, 1978. Memo to Vito DeLeonardis from R. I . Allen re UUP meeting for Campus Charter
Presidents, June 8; report from Vincent Grove (Utica Service Center), re locals at impasse,
negotiations, NYEA activity, June 6; monthly report from Chuck Rodgers re Vestal/Elmira,
including Ithaca College election, being decided at NLRB, bargaining status at locals,
organizing at Ithaca and other locals, NYEA "propaganda," with attached newsletter and news
clippings, June 2; activity report from Ray Samson re Rochester regional office activities,
including negotiations at several locals, organizing/NYEA activity, June 5; UUP election
campaign activities report from Evelyn Hartman, June 5; UUP update from Tony Anderson to Chuck
Richards, June 6; report from Ron Uba (Western New York Service Center/Buffalo) re organizing,
with attached correspondence with Niagara-Wheatfield Teachers Association, June 5; Tony
Ficcio's report for NYC Service Center, June 2; Stanley Kern, Mid-Hudson Report, June 5;
Robert Klein re Elmsford, with attached correspondence discussing impact of Hurd decision on
locals, June 5; report from Leon Lieberman, Albany, on the Schalmont disaffiliation, impact of
Hurd on small cities, June 7; John DeGregorio's Suffolk regional report, June 1, with addendum
re NYEA activity, June 7; Frank Squillace report on recent activities in Syracuse area,
including major problem of Hurd decision impact on Central New York cities of Fulton, Oswego,
and Auburn, June 5; Potsdam report from R. J. Allen, May 19; Vincent Grove report on Utica
locals, May 9; Tony Ficcio's report, noting most of his time had been devoted to PEF
activities, May 1

35

Coordinator's ReportsMarch/April, 1978. Bi-weekly reports for periods ending April 14 and March 10 from John
O'Leary, Nassau, re organizing, negotiations, NYEA activity; Mid-Hudson report from Stanley
Kern re NYEA, school-related personnel, March 13; Suffolk regional report from John DeGregorio
re negotiations, workshops, April 3; report from Leon Lieberman, Albany, re physical
inadequacy of office, April 3; report from Tony Ficcio, noting most of his time had been
devoted to PEF activities, March 30; report from Robert Allen, discussing NYEA situation in
Watertown and other North Country locals, April 4; report from Ron Uba re organizing in
Western New York, also noting "pathetic" secretarial staffing situation, April 4; John
O'Leary's bi-weekly report for period ending March 31, noting organizing, negotiations in
Nassau region; report by Robert Klein re negotiations in Elmsford region, April 4, with
attached salary schedule increases and rankings by district, from 1973-74 to 1979-80, March
15, 1978; report by John DeGregorio, Suffolk, re negotiations, April 3; UUP report from Evelyn
Hartman, noting "hot and heavy" NEA challenges, March 16; monthly report from C.N. (Chuck)
Rodgers re Vestal/Elmira Service Center spring conference, Ithaca College vote, NYEA
"propaganda," other organizing, March 14, attached NYSUT Vestal-Elmira newsletters; Syracuse
Regional Office Local Visibility Profile matrix, developed to assess vulnerability of locals
to challenges by NEA, March 14; recent activity report from Frank Squillace re negotiations in
Syracuse region, need for more office help, March 15; memo form Ray Samson discussing
deficiencies with Visibility Profile in assessing strength of connection with NYSUT, March 31;
memo from Vito DeLeonardis to regional coordinators, requesting use of visibility profile and
feedback as to whether it is a useful instrument, March 2

36

Coordinator's ReportsFebruary, 1978. John O'Leary's bi-weekly report for period ending February 24 on Nassau
Service Center activities, discussing problems with NYSUT's policy and practice re advisory
arbitration as self-defeating, regressive, useless; Mid-Hudson report from Stanley Kern re
strike at Dover Plains-Wingdale, impasse at Wallkill, and settlements at Ichabod Crane and
Livingston Manor, February 14; Vinnie Grove's report on Utica activities, including
negotiations, with attached newspaper clippings, February 14; memo to DeLeonardis from Stan
Kern requesting additional staff for the Mid-Hudson Regional Office, vulnerability to
challenge by NEA, with attached list of contract expiration dates at various locals and staff
assignments, February 1

Coordinator's ReportsJune-September, 1977. Report from Tony Ficcio, noting "unberable" (sic) workload at NYC
office, need for more secretarial and field staff to service 2,000 members, 17 bargaining
units, four UUP campuses, an election and an organizing drive, September 8; Tony Ficcio memo
of July 20 re staffing situation at NYC office, noting ratio of members to staff was 1,938:1;
Tony Ficcio report of August 16, re negotiations at various Catholic schools (Lay Faculty
Association) and Lexington School for the Deaf; by-weekly report from John O'Leary, Nassau
Service Center, complaining about staffing levels, telling Vito DeLeonardis "you make my job
impossible," noting especially that staff are taken away for "stupid, asinine, unplanned AFT
assignments," September 30; O'Leary bi-weekly report of September 16, noting eight unresolved
contracts and two strikes, terrible situation at Roosevelt; monthly report from C. N. Rodgers
re Vestal/Elmira NYSUT Summer Leadership Conference, with attached materials and newsletters,
September 20; Rodgers report of July 11; brochure re Maine Endwell Teachers United (METU);
copy of NYEA Advocate, September 1977; lengthy letter from Jack Fallon to R. I. Allen,
justifying large number of phonecalls from Mid-Hudson office of one minute or less, noting
that these usually were requests for call-backs when party was unavailable, saving the office
money on longer calls, noting also that calls to NYC were to arbitrators, since arbitration
case load had increased dramatically, July 8; coordinator's reports from Leon Lieberman,
Robert G. Klein (Elmsford), re negotiations, potential organizing targets, John DeGregorio
(Suffolk) re NYEA activity, Robert Allen (North Country), June

Diane Wagner (Coordinator's Meeting)November, 1978. Agenda for Coordinators' Meeting, November 21, 1978; outline of Executive
Director's Report; list of articles for discussion, with clippings attached, including article
from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation quarterly, Foundation Action, "Foundation
Deals Series of Crushing Blows to Union Bosses' Illegal Political Spending," articles from New
York Times, Wall Street Journal ("Understanding Trade Unionism," by Irving Kristol, with
reply), Education Daily, and New York Law Journal (Appellate Division decision in Sharon
Jacobs matter); lists of independent and proprietary degree-granting institutions, for
distribution to regional coordinators for identifying potential organizing targets, November
1

Coordinator's Meeting (Ginny Stumpf)February 15, 1978. Meeting agenda; NYSUT Standards for Affiliation; memo from R. I. Allen re
impact of new laws covering the handicapped, January 24; memorandum from NYSUT counsel Bernard
Ashe to Jim Conti re decision by Appellate Division that Notice of Claim needed to be filed
before commencing an Article 78 proceeding re tenure areas in the Hudson Falls Central School
District, with attached text of decision, January 31, and cover letter to coordinators from
Jim Conti, February 8; list of comparative membership by category and by service center from
1976 to 1977; newspaper clippings

Coordinator's Meeting (Ginny Stumpf)May, 1977. Meeting agenda; letter to NYSUT Executive Board from field representative Vince
Callaci (Jericho Service Center), warning against NEA cooperative service program for locals,
UniServ Plus, saying that the program was tried and failed in the 1960s, allowed NEA to shirk
responsibilities, May 18; "Business As Usual," anti-NYSUT sheet by anonymous NEA operative,
the Roving Reporter, 5/7/77; findings, award and opinion by American Arbitration Association
tribunal re Professional Staff Association and NYSUT, with cover letter, April 4, 1976; PERB
decision and order in Monroe Woodbury Teachers Association, respondent, and Monroe Woodbury
Central School District, charging party, with cover memo from Robert G. Klein requesting that
it be put on the agenda for the next Coordinator's Meeting as topic for discussion, April 13,
1988; memo re June 6 meeting to discuss budget; summary of actions of NYSUT Board of Directors
meeting of May 13-14, 1977

Coordinator's Meeting (Vito De Leonardis)March, 1977. Meeting agenda; confidential memo to Vito DeLeonardis re staffing patterns,
February 25, 1977; NEA anti-Shanker flyer, "Because you need to knowour view," re
Stavisky-Goodman Law; Bureau of National Affairs Current Developments articles, March 3, 1977;
memo from R. I. Allen, listing telephone costs of service centers, noting lowered usage over
previous year, but advising ways to hold down costs even further, such as sending a letter
instead of calling, March 22; list of vouchers for meals by field representatives and
coordinators for the month of February, from R. I. Allen, March 22; article reprints

Vito De Leonardis Coordinator's MeetingNovember 15, 1979. Meeting agenda; summary of meeting by Nancy Burger; list of items for
discussion; outline of executive director's report; PERB board decision on motion in the
matter of State of New York (Office of Employee Relations) and Public Employee Federation,
petition, and Civil Service Employees Association, intervenor; Barron's clipping "Meany's
Departure: It Will Bring More Militance, Less Unity to Organized Labor; summary of proposed
PEF contract, with cover letter to members from president John Kraemer, November 13; report
for Coordinator's Meeting by Division of Research and Educational Services; critical Report on
the 58th Representative Assembly of the National Education Association, July 2-5, 1979,
prepared for officers and staff of the American Federation of Teachers by Peter G. Laarman,
Director of Field Communications; transcript of Secretary-Treasurer Lane Kirkland's press
conference, September 28, 1979, Executive Council meeting; paper, The UAW Reaffiliation with
the AFL-CIO; locals in arrears as of October 9, 1979; list of impasses

Vito De Leonardis Coordinator's MeetingAugust 23, 1979. Meeting agenda; summary of meeting, by Nancy Burger; list of articles for
discussion; report on Arden Hill Hospital organizing; report from Division of Research and
Educational Services; highly confidential memo re coverage of headquarters and regional
offices in the event of a staff strike; NYEA materials; articles from Bureau of National
Affairs Current Developments; American Income Life Insurance Company newsletter, A. I. Labor
Letter; newspaper clippings and journal articles

Vito De Leonardis Coordinator's MeetingJune 20, 1979. Meeting agenda; summary of meeting, by Nancy Burger; list of articles for
discussion; confidential memo to managers re dealing with arbitrators; report from Division of
Research and Educational Services; document, One-Day Workshop on the Performance Appraisal
Interview, presented by the Psychological Corporation; Education Daily newsletters; list of
NYSUT legislative program bills signed into law or passed both houses; Bureau of National
Affairs Daily Labor Report Current Developments; AFT reprint, "Views on Collective Bargaining
in Education"; State Education Department "Status Report on Teaching as a Profession and
Teacher Competence"; Health Facilities Directory, January 1979, by Office of Health Systems
Management

37

Coordinator's ReportMay, 1979. Report by Robert G. Klein, Elmsford, re settlements in Rockland Community College
and Nanuet, other negotiations, organizing at Arden Hill Hospital, difficulty in organizing
unit in Scarsdale because of local attitude toward unionism, need for more secretarial and
field staff; report by Ray Samson, Rochester, re organizing teacher aides at Monroe County
BOCES, East Irondequoit secretaries, challenge by NYEA at Gates-Chili (with attached letter),
organizing nurses at Strong Memorial Hospital, five others; Samson report of results of
Rochester Teachers Association election, noting scheduled run-off; report by Chuck Rodgers,
Southern Tier Regional Office (STRO), with attached newsletters, revised Consumer Price Index
for urban areas, list of staff assignments; UUP report from Evelyn Hartman, noting potential
trouble if CUNY went to full state funding, implications for bargaining; report from Ron Uba,
Western NY, with results of Buffalo election for officers, immediate need for secretary, work
overload from PEF; report from Howard Edelman, Nassau, re tenure/3020a cases, excessing,
organizing, arbitrations, negotiations; memo from Edelman re use of private attorneys for
local bargaining units in Nassau County; memo from Edelman detailing involvement of field
representatives in negotiations and other activities at various locals; memo from Edelman
justifying need for replacement for him and additional staff for Jericho office, ratio of
members to field reps; report from John DeGregorio, Suffolk, re strike by Suffolk Child
Development Teachers Association over provision of air conditioning, other negotiations;
report by Tony Ficcio, NYC, noting return of letter to Jim Conti for lack of postage,
detailing examples of potential organizing opportunities if more help were provided; report
from Vinnie Grove re workshops, affiliation vote at Herkimer County Community College, status
of negotiations at various locals, work with PEF; report by Stan Kern, Mid-Hudson, re impasses
at several locals, settlement at Coxsackie-Athens, organizing efforts, NYEA activity; report
by Robert J. Allen, North Country, re NYEA activities in Watertown, Potsdam, and Plattsburgh,
negotiations at several schools, arbitrations and other legal matters; report by Leon
Lieberman, Albany, re NYEA activities at various locals, activities of NYSUT minority locals,
negotiations, organizing; report by Frank Squillace, Syracuse, re NYEA activities, work with
PEF, UUP, redeployment of staff, negotiations, workshops; request from Squillace for clerical
position, with attached related paperwork and earlier memo

37

Coordinator's MeetingMay 24, 1979. Meeting agenda; summary of meeting, by Diane Wagner; list of articles for
discussion; memo re BOCES seniority problem; report from Division of Research and Educational
Services; questionnaire surveying levels and causes of stress among teachers; draft
legislation for demonstration projects for inservice education; NYSUT list of major
legislative action through May 17, 1979; support memoranda for NYSUT PEF: Taylor Law
collective bargaining bills; American Income Life Insurance Company A.I. Labor Letter;
Collective Bargaining Agreement between League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes of New York
and District 1199 National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees RWDSAU/AFL-CIO,
1978-1980; New York State Nurses Association newsletter, Report; legislative bulletins re
educational and licensing requirements for nursing; articles from National Elementary
Principal, Citizen Action in Education, SAAANYS Journal, Education Daily, Bureau of National
Affairs Current Developments

Legal Albany H.Q.Memo from New York State School Boards Association re legislative proposals re changes to
3020a disciplinary hearing procedures, with attached survey for school superintendents; memo
from NYSUT counsel Bernard Ashe to Jim Conti re Kidwell v. TCIU, requiring unions to
accommodate members' objections to use of money for political purposes, December 20; memo from
Ashe re obligation to bargain about decisions to subcontract academic programs to a BOCES,
with attached copy of decision (Webster Central School District et al. v. PERB et al.), May
15; memo re re-opening of unemployment insurance cases, May 15; memo from Jim Conti to
regional staff directors re decision; memo from Ashe re legality of mandatory retirement
policy, June 14; memo from Jim Conti re drug-free workplace requirements, May 2; memos from
Jim Conti to Bernard Ashe and regional staff directors re PERB administrative law judge
decision in Watkins Glen Faculty Association v. Watkins Glen Central School District,
implications for negotiating E.I.T. funds, March 27; memos re appeal of Maureen Keesler, with
decision by state Commissioner of Education dismissing the appeal, March; letter from New York
State School Boards Association, soliciting school attorneys to use the NYSSBA legal services
for a fee, December 18, 1989

37

Legal NYCMemo from Jim Conti to NYSUT legal counsel James Sandner re early retirement incentives,
with attached Older Workers Benefit Protection Act text and analysis, Bureau of National
Affairs Labor Relations Reporter, October 15, 1990; memo to NYSUT officers and staff from
counsel James Sandner re decision in NY Court of Appeals in Sobol and NYSUT advs. Schneider re
Excellence in Teaching eligibility, with attached decision, June 28; memo form Jim Conti to
NYSUT counsel James Sandner suggesting that he make a presentation to the Federation of Nurses
and Health Professionals Conference re nurses' professional responsibilities and liabilities,
September 5; memo from Sandner re Jose P. v. Board of Education, City School District, City of
New York, assignment of counsel, August 8; memo from Jim Conti re agency fees and union shops
at Nassau, Suffolk, and Elmsford school districts, July 12

37

LegislationMemo from Department of Civil Service Division of Employee Benefits re option transfer
period, outlining health insurance plan options, pre-tax contribution program, October 22;
cover memo re questionnaire to local presidents, November 21; New York State School Boards
Association Legislative Bulletin: Questions and Answers on the Teachers' Retirement System,
May 30; memos to local presidents from NYSUT executive vice president Herb Magidson re Gov.
Mario Cuomo's proposed state aid reductions, with attached spreadsheet of impacts by district,
November-December; Cuomo's Message to the Legislature ("State of the State"), excerpt on
education, reprinted by NYSUT, January 3; memo re duty of fair representation legislation,
with attached text of bill in Assembly, August 17; preliminary report on indoor air quality,
prepared for the Senate Democratic Task Force on Indoor Air Quality, September 1990, with
cover memo to Jim Conti from John Costello, NYSUT Legislative Department; memo re mandatory
class size bill, November 28; memo to local presidents re update of 1990 legislative report,
August 10; memos re approach to proposal in Congress to amend the National Labor Relations Act
to speed up certification process, May-July; memo re Assembly proposal to amend the Public
Health Law to provide information to health care workers on their exposure to the AIDS virus,
question of whether NYSUT should support or oppose, June 28, with attached text of
legislation; memo from Jim Conti re pending health care legislation that would ban Medicaid
reimbursement to health care facilities that used tax money to fight union organizing
activity, June 21; lobbying materials, including "NYSUT Program for Pension Equity," "An
Overview: Pension Reform: The Need Is Compelling," letters to legislators; text of bill in
Assembly re asbestos removal, March 28, 1989; memos re Executive Order No. 131, insuring that
the state's administrative hearing system operated in an impartial and timely way; New Jersey
Department of Health Proposed Standards for Indoor Air Quality, with cover memo from Jim Conti
suggesting that the information might be helpful in considering a draft proposal for New York,
January 22; draft proposal for indoor air pollution legislation, by the New York Committee for
Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), with cover memo from Jim Conti, December 19; memo
asking whether school districts had reduced health insurance benefits for retirees, January
19

37

New York Teacher (Newspaper)Series of articles from NYSUT official publication, New York Teacher, re state retirement
system; printing schedule, list of major stories for each issue, list of columns, potential
new columns, potential focus areas for following year; A Study of the UFT Bulletin and New
York Teacher, conducted by Clark, Martire & Bartolomeo, Inc.; draft of article on
Commissioner's ruling on asbestos in schools, with note that Jim Conti recommended against
doing story

37

President's OfficeMemos from president Tom Hobart to staff re NYSUT smoking policy in the workplace, March 28
and July 19; program for testimonial luncheon and Four Freedoms Award by Italian American
Labor Council, honoring Tom Hobart, December 8; letter from the New York State School Boards
Association, New York State Council of School Superintendents, and Association of School
Business Officials to Gov. Mario Cuomo, urging elimination of Excellence In Teaching funds and
other items, with cover memo to Tom Hobart from Jim Conti, December 1; art materials safety
alert from Consumer Products Safety Commission, with cover memo from Tom Hobart to local
presidents, September 4; memo from Jim Conti re NYSUT Task Force on Health and Safety, with
attached list of members; ad by NEA in Education Week, with cover memo from Jim Conti, January
24; clipping from NEA Today, with cover memo from Jim Conti noting that national had to "bail
out" NEA-NY, January 24; memo from Tom Hobart re new smoking regulations following new state
law, December 20; NYSUT 1990 Annual Report and daily summaries of proceedings of the
Representative Assembly, with cover letter from Tom Hobart to NYSUT staff, April 2

Research (Division of Research and Educational Services)Memo re Regents appointments to the State Board for Nursing, December 13; materials re new
teacher evaluation policy jointly developed by the Syracuse Teachers Association and the
school district, April; NYSUT Information Bulletin re education reform survey, April 1990

37

Educational Services (Division of Research and Educational
Services)Letter to Tom Hobart from Target Consultants International Ltd., providers of
violence-suppression training, with cover letter to Jim Conti for discussion by Health and
Safety Committee, January 3; weekly reports from Chuck Santelli re school budget defeats; memo
re mentor-teacher internship programs, March 18; memo re State Education Department's removal
of Watertown school district from Excellence and Accountability Program because of missed
deadline, with attached newspaper clippings; memo re problems with implementation of D.A.R.E.
program in Rome school district, January 8; local leader's survey on educational reform,
February 16; results of survey, June 12; memo to NYSUT Executive Committee re revised NYSUT
policy on selection procedures for the Board of Regents; NYSUT monthly report prepared by
Division of Research and Educational Services, re EIT median salaries for 1990-91, other
issues

37

Reimbursable Cost Manual (Handicapped Children)"Reimbursable Cost Manual for Programs Receiving Funding under Article 81 and Article 89 of
Education Law to Educate Children with Handicapping Conditions," July 1989 and August 1990
editions, with cover letter to regional staff directors, October 24, 1990

37

Member Benefits (Payroll Deductions)Memo urging members to use payroll deduction for their dues; related correspondence

37

Jim Conti Correspondence (Field Services)October - December, 1990. Memos authorizing filing of Improper Practice charges at several
districts; chain letter addressed to several union leaders in support of ending apartheid in
South Africa, initiated by a professor at the University of South Africa, with list of
circulation to date, November 20; request to Bill Keleher for any and all health and safety
language in collective bargaining agreements, December 20; request to NYSUT counsel Bernard
Ashe for opinion re Kidwell v. TCIU case, December 20; memo to NYSUT public relations director
Peter Boespflug re Jobs with Justice Health Care Action Day, noting reluctance to get involved
until differences with AFSCME were resolved, December 18; requests for reports on membership
promotion campaigns for various locals, December 18; memo to Ray Sampson complimenting him for
excellent research on what constitutes a strike, December 18; letters to several local
presidents, urging them to reconsider receiving health and safety training, as it would affect
the amount of a grant received by NYSUT, December 17; memo to file re meeting with Public
Employment Relations Board re impact of state fiscal crisis on agency, legislation requiring
it to become revenue-producing, December 17; BOCES Steering Committee meeting notice, December
14; inquiry to Chuck Santelli re WEC Student Teaching proposal, noting that coalition appeared
to be dominated by management interests, December 14; request to NYSUT counsel Jim Sandner for
analysis of the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act on Early Retirement incentive clauses,
December 14; letter to state Department of Labor Hazard Abatement Board, nominating the New
York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides for a training grant, December 14; cover letters
to notices of safety and health violations sent to school districts, December 3 and October
29; notice of OSHA training session, November 29; letters to regional staff directors
notifying them of nomination to Blue Cross/Blue Shield Regional Advisory Council, November 28;
memo to OSHA reps that NYSUT would conduct analysis of the AHERA Management Plans under a
grant from the NYS Department of Labor, requesting copy of plan from each area, November 26;
letter to NYSUT counsel Bernard Ashe re health and safety liability issues for science
teachers, requesting meeting, November 21; memos to regional staff directors re health and
safety training and assistance, November 16 and 8; letter to Roger Wheeler, whose daughter
might have been entitled to additional pay at R-C-G BOCES, November 16; letter notifying
Doreen Ellis, UFT, that she had been appointed to NYSUT Task Force on Safety and Health by
Board of Directors, November 16; memo to regional staff directors requesting bargaining load
of each labor relations specialist in their office, November 8; notice of sexual harassment
training session, November 8; letter to director of field services of AFT, requesting
assistance for Wappingers Federation of Transit Custodial and Maintenance Workers in resolving
internal problems, November 8; letter to regional staff directors re membership promotion,
targeted to a list of locals, with attached description of AFT Full Membership Program,
October 24; memo to regional staff directors re right of State Education Department Division
of Civil Rights and Intercultural Relations to review contracts for possible discriminatory
clauses based on race, sex, age, and disabilities, October 22; memo requesting a copy of
testimony at Assemblyman Richard Gottfried's hearing on indoor air pollution, October 19; memo
directing that the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES local inform the Department of Labor that
the district was not complying with the requirement that Right-to-Know training be provided,
October 17; memo re new test for commercial drivers, October 11-12; letter to president of
Roscoe Teachers Association re changes in staff assignments at NYSUT Mid-Hudson Regional
Office, October 12; memo describing the Civil Service Participating Agencies Advisory Council,
October 9; cover letters to various documents, not attached

37

Jim Conti Correspondence (1 of 2)April 2 - September 28, 1990. Memos authorizing filing of Improper Practice charges at
several districts; report from Jim Conti to regional staff directors on commercial driver's
license conference, requirement to pass a new test, noting that many school bus drivers were
functionally illiterate, dispute over who would fund training, June 27; letters re
self-insurance, June 28; letters re meeting with interns, June 25; inquiry re stop-loss
insurance, June 21; request for information re number of school districts and individuals in
Orange-Ulster BOCES insurance plan, related questions, June 21; cover letters re safety and
health violations at various school districts; memo re meeting to discuss Department of Labor
training program for "win-win bargaining," June 12; memo re subcontracting to BOCES after
Webster decision, June 8; memos to National Committee on Pay Equity, AFT director of
information services, soliciting opinions re videotape on pay equity, June 7; memo to regional
staff directors re videotape, June 4; Testimony of James Conti, Director of Field Services,
NYSUT, before the New York State Assembly Public Hearing of the Standing Committee on
Education, re school building safety, June 5, 1990, with cover letter to Leon Lieberman;
confidential memo re vacation accrual formula in OCAW-NYCOSH contract, May 23; memo re
substance abuse policy endorsed by the NYS School Boards Association, noting that it was one
of the better ones, did not compel drug testing without reasonable suspicion, May 23; memo re
sexual harassment prevention training, May 22; memo re flexible spending accounts, noting that
they did not apply to retirees since they were no longer considered employees, May 22; letter
to member Jill Lerner re concern that Livingston Manor Faculty Association handled her
complaint appropriately, May 22; invitation to AFT assistant director for safety and health to
attend conference, "Safety and Health in the 90s," cosponsored by NYS AFL-CIO, NYCOSH, and
others, May 11; memo re East Moriches smoking policy, question of filing an Improper Practice
charge for unilaterally changing terms of employment, May 9; memos calling a meeting for labor
relations specialists who service Special Act schools, May 8; letter to deputy chief of
training, NYS Emergency Management Office, requesting information re Emergency Preparedness
Program, May 8; letter to AFT, requesting copy of Asbestos: A Time Bomb in Our Schools, May 2;
memo re introductory text of pesticide brochures from the Department of Environmental
Conservation, May 2; memo re decision that school districts can randomly drug-test school bus
drivers, April 25; document, "Health and Safety Provisions Found in Some NYSUT Contracts,"
with cover letter to AFT assistant director of health and safety, April 24; request to
regional staff directors for information re health and safety training conducted by field
representatives since September 1989, needed for grant application to NYS Department of Labor,
April 23; memos re arbitration and brief-writing seminars, April 23; memo re potential
investigation by AFT of situation at Highland Teachers Association, April 19; letters to
individuals hired to work as interns at NYSUT, April 6; memos re health care conference,
universal health care proposal for New York, April 5; cover letters to various documents, not
attached

37

Jim Conti Correspondence (2 of 2)April 2 - September 28, 1990. Memos authorizing filing of Improper Practice charges at
several districts; letters re meetings, dinners, workshops, and other events; cover letters re
safety and health violations at various school districts; letter to NYS Occupational Safety
and Health Hazard Abatement Board, applying for multi-year contract under Training and
Education Program, September 15; outline of remarks by Jim Conti to conference on arbitration
in the public sector, September 14; Q & A sheet re required testing for commercial
driver's licenses, with cover letters to NYSUT school bus drivers and local presidents,
September 7; letter to NYSUT counsel James Sandner asking him to speak at Federation of Nurses
and Health Professionals conference re liability issues, September 5; memo re program on
Taylor Law at Le Moyne College, September 5; memo discussing two NYSUT Representative Assembly
resolutions re prior public notice and comparable worth, August 30; letters to NYSUT present
Tom Hobart and other NYSUT officials thanking them for agreeing to address the BOCES
Leadership Conference, August 24; memo re bargaining status of locals statewide (in
aggregate), August 22; letter recommending Thomas Sharkey to the American Arbitration
Association panel, August 14; memo to regional staff directors requesting that they identify
three to five locals in their region to target for an effort to increase their membership,
August 9; memo re hearing for member of the VanderHeyden Hall Teachers Association, August 9;
memo re decertification petition at Benjamin-Rush school district, July 19; memos re
Excellence In Teaching funds dispute at Horseheads school district, July 19; summary of Part
83 decisions, noting that almost all had to do with sexual abuse and resulted in revocation of
teaching certificates, July 16; letters re health insurance consortia (Orange-Ulster BOCES and
East End Consortium on Long Island), July 12; confidential memo to NYCOSH Board of Directors
re NYCOSH management salary increases, July 12; list of locals in Nassau, Suffolk, and
Elmsford with either agency fee or union shop arrangements, July 12; memo re stop-loss
insurance, July 11; memo re lack of cooperation by some locals in participating in health and
safety training provided under a Department of Labor grant, July 10; letter to the director of
Local Government and School District Affairs, CSEA, thanking him for publication, Throwing
Away Our Future, noting that section, "Private Sector Not the Answer," demonstrated that
privatization is never cheaper, July 10; cover letters to various documents, not attached

37

Jim Conti Correspondence (1 of 2)January 2 - March 29, 1990. Memos authorizing filing of Improper Practice charges at several
districts; letter to regional staff directors, describing interns in Albany, plans for
training, February 9; letter to director of Local Government and School District Affairs,
CSEA, thanking him for waiver to organize nurses employed by Cortland School District, asking
for meeting to discuss working together on other locals, February 9; letter requesting
representative to attend health insurance conference, February 9; letters thanking NYSUT
officials for spending time with interns, February 9; letters re various training; cover
letters re safety and health violations at various school districts; letter to field
representative discussing challenge of reducing health care costs, asserting that higher
burden on employees was not the answer, February 2; cover letter to organizing report, adding
that flexibility should be used in the percentage requirement for signatures needed to file a
certification petition for teachers units, February 2; document, "Sexual Harassment: Policy
Overview," with cover letter from President Hobart noting that it had been adopted by the
NYSUT Board of Directors at its January 26 meeting; letters to health insurance executives and
state agency officials thanking them for speaking at conference on health insurance, February
1; letter to Tom Hobart from the NYSUT Safety and Health Task Force urging that NYSUT support
legislation raising the maximum benefit for workers injured on the job and closing the gap
between disability awards for total and permanent partial disability, January 29; letters to
regional safety and health groups asking that they provide training to NYSUT locals if a state
grant became available, January 26; memo to regional staff directors asking that they identify
locals to participate in health and safety training, January 25; letter to PERB director of
Public Employment Practices & Representation, asking him to change the rule re
validity of dues deduction or authorization cards that become stale during the period of
litigation re petition, January 25; memo to regional staff directors announcing that U.S.
Supreme Court would review whether a union that participated in work site safety and health
monitoring could be held liable under state law in the event of an accident, January 25; memo
noting that Central Islip School District was being sued by state Attorney General for
violating Right to Know law and Public Employees Safety and Health Act, January 25; letter to
Executive Director of NYCOSH, noting payment of $30,261, January 25; letter to NYS School
Boards Association, requesting copies of Asbestos: A Handbook for School Board Members and
Administrators, January 24; memo to regional staff directors re Appellate Division decision
affirming state Supreme Court decision declaring unconstitutional the definition of "eligible
teacher" for Excellence in Teaching eligibility, January 23; request to industrial hygienist
at state Department of Labor to conduct Indoor Air Pollution Quality Survey for room in which
Linotronic equipment was located, January 22; memo to general counsels and regional staff
directors re agreement with AFSCME Council 82 prohibiting random drug testing, January 19;
memo re planned activities for interns, criteria for tracking their progress, January 18;
letters to individual regional staff directors re assignment of interns to their offices,
January 17; letters to individual interns re assignments, January 16; minutes of NYSUT Task
Force on Health and Safety meeting of January 12; request to National Committee on Pay Equity
for review copy of Manual on Collective Bargaining for Pay Equity and price list for
individual and bulk copies, January 12; letters to health insurance officials, requesting that
they speak at health insurance conference on various topics, January 12; memo discussing ways
to answer retirement questions for school-related personnel (SRPs), January 4

38

Jim Conti Correspondence (2 of 2)January 2 - March 29, 1990. Memos authorizing filing of Improper Practice charges at several
districts; letters re various training; cover letters re safety and health violations at
various school districts; memo to regional staff directors re mandatory vs. non-mandatory
aspects of disciplinary decisions, 3020a cases, March 29; cover memo to regional staff
directors re genetic testing, commenting that prospect was "scary," March 28; letter to
director of organizing for CSEA re obtaining a waiver to organize school-related personnel in
Mohonasen, Guilderland, and Niskayuna, challenge from NEA, March 28; memo to file about
meeting with CSEA re situation in Fredonia, March 28; request to Martin E. Segal Company for
comparison of two dental plans for Rondout Valley district, March 28; memo re Republican
appointment to PERB board, March 28; memo re time allocation patterns of teachers at public
and private schools, noting that statistics might be useful in negotiations, March 28; memos
re Administrative Law judge's decision in Watkins Glen case re Excellence in Teaching funds,
March 27; memos to intern applicants re interviews, March 27; letter to executive director of
NYCOSH, asking for a speaker to address nurses in the Mid-Hudson area about disposal of
blood-borne hazardous waste from hospitals, March 20; cover letters re legal cases, not
attached; request (initiated by Liberty Faculty Association) to consultants Martin E. Segal
Company to compare Empire, Dutchess, and Orange-Ulster health plans, March 12; letter to
acting director of training of Center for Women in Government re meeting to develop sexual
harassment training program, March 12; memo re Nurses and Public Policy Conference, March 9;
letter to regional staff directors re removal of leftover medical supplies from old bomb
shelters set up in the 1950s around the state, March 7; letter from Jim Conti to attorney in
the state Department of Law, asking for follow-up on complaint re health and safety conditions
at Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES, March 7; letter from Jim Conti to Chuck Santelli asking
whether anyone could be located at the State Education Department who might support increased
aid to improve salaries of teachers at Special Act and 4201 Schools, whose pay was
"outrageously low" compared to that of teachers at regular schools, March 7; memo re repeated
violations of safety and health requirements by Central Islip School District, charges pending
at state Attorney General's office, March 6; memo to file re policy on asbestos for Asbestos
Committee Meeting, March 5; agenda for Asbestos Committee meeting, March 5; memo re referral
of resolution re recycling and biodegradables to NYSUT Health and Safety Task Force, noting
that task force was fast becoming the busiest in NYSUT, February 26; memo to regional staff
directors that any self-insured health plan should comply with the regulations of the state
insurance department, February 26; memo re Special Act Schools legislation calling for a
study, February 26; cover memo to documents (not attached) indicating arbitrator's decision
that retirees were entitled to health benefits as per collective bargaining agreement,
possible precedent, February 26; letter to director of conciliation of PERB, noting abuse by
one arbitrator who regularly demanded compensation above the PERB allowance, then billed for
even more, February 26; lists of bargaining load by regional office and field representative
for 1989-90 and comparison with previous year, February 22; confidential memoranda re Sexual
Harassment Committee meeting, February 20; letters nominating NYSUT affiliate United
University Professions, specifically Dr. Lois Haignere, for at-large seat on Board of
Directors of National Committee on Pay Equity, sent to National Association of Working Women,
Industrial Union Department, AFL-CIO, National Homemakers Network, American Nurses
Association, American Association of University Women, American Library Association, Coalition
of Labor Union Women, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Organization of Pan-Asian American
Women, National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, Mexican American Women's National
Association, League of Women Voters, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), United Methodist Church,
National Education Association, National Federation of Federal Employees, AFSCME, CSEA, UAW,
IUE, National Women's Law Center, Women's Legal Defense Fund, National Bar Association,
American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Democratic Action, and others, February 16

38

Unification SheetsNew York State Teachers Association Local Unit Membership Agreement Form with Tri-Valley
Teachers Association, June 20, 1972; memo re four-way unified local at Henderson district,
October 17, 1973; memo to coordinators re errors in dues guarantee forms, with attached list
of locals indicating corrections, May 29 and June 5, 1973; memo noting the consolidation of
Chestertown, Horicon, and Pottersville school districts and creation of North Warren Teachers
Association, with list of officers, September 14, 1973; lists of locals, dues, and membership
totals, for each regional office

38

Original Dues ReimbursementLetters recording dues reimbursement checks sent to locals that lost membership income as a
result of unification

38

Dues ReimbursementsLists of locals in each regional office eligible for reimbursement based on loss of dues
during the 1972-73 year as compared with the NEA dues guarantee, which was based on 1971-72
membership levels

38

Dues Reimbursements Sent to NEA (1 of 3)Notarized applications for reimbursement of dues income by various NYSUT locals

38

Dues Reimbursements Sent to NEA (2 of 3)Notarized applications for reimbursement of dues income by various NYSUT locals

38

Dues Reimbursements Sent to NEA (3 of 3)Notarized applications for reimbursement of dues income by various NYSUT locals; letters
from NEA re dues reimbursement to locals

38

Dues Income: ReimbursementCorrespondence re reimbursement checks

38

3: Way UnificationList of Uniserv (United Staff Service Program) clusters (groups of NYSUT locals) by service
center, 1972-73, with membership counts; lists of locals, with membership counts, presidents,
and business addresses

38

Uniserv UnitsLists of Univsev units (groups of NYSUT locals), 1971-72, as of December 25, 1971; Uniserv
roster, showing service representatives; handwritten lists of locals by service center

38

Uniserv GeneralLists of Uniserv representatives, dates of hire, and personal information; related
correspondence with NEA Leadership Development Academy, April 1972; list of proposed Uniserv
clusters for 1972-73; Uniserv program review, August 8, 1972; staffing projections for locals
by regional service center, 1972-73; tentative working draft, Uniserv Policy Implementation,
1971; Policy Implementation Guidelines, 1971; Policy Guidelines, adopted by NEA Board of
Directors, February 1971; memo to regional coordinators re bulk purchase of library materials
from Bureau of National Affairs, October 4, 1972; Western Union telex to national office
requesting extension of May 1 deadline for application for funding Uniserv units, anticipating
higher number of new units, May 1, 1972; map of New York State showing estimated number of
Uniserv staff per region for 1972-73; cover letters noting checks sent from NEA or Uniserv
national office to New York units; Uniserv cost projection for 1972-73; 1971-72 budget for
Uniserv Unit 14A (Elmira, Corning Horseheads), with attached agreement; Uniserv agreement
between National Education Association (NEA) and New York State Teachers Association (NYSTA),
November 2, 1971; revised copy, July 9, 1971; correspondence re approval by NYSTA Board of
Directors of a master plan to implement Uniserv in New York State, May 27, 1971; memos to
field staff re training sessions

38

Uniserv ContractsAgreements with local service units and related correspondence

38

UniservList of Uniserv clusters, 1974-75; list for 1973-74; memo from NEA Executive Secretary Terry
Herndon to NEA Board of Directors and state and local officials re schedule of transition to
NEA's new constitution and by-laws, selection of delegates to 1975 Representative Assembly,
October 1974; revised Uniserv Staff Utilization Program; related memo to state Uniserv
coordinators, June 10, 1974; State Education Department Guidelines for Student Rights and
Responsibilities; materials from State Education Department re contingency budgets; agreement
with Unit AA-1; Uniserv Staff Recruitment and Employment: Policy Employment Practices
Guidelines, August 1972; application for Uniserv units for New York State, 1974-75; memo re
renegotiation of 1974-75 Uniserv contracts, April 12, 1974

Vacancies: Transfers (1 of 8)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

39

Vacancies: Transfers (2 of 8)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

39

Vacancies: Transfers (3 of 8)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

39

Vacancies: Transfers (4 of 8)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

39

Vacancies: Transfers (5 of 8)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

39

Vacancies: Transfers (6 of 8)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

39

Vacancies: Transfers (7 of 8)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

39

Vacancies: Transfers (8 of 8)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

39

Vacancies: PromotionsArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

39

Vacancies: SeniorityArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

40

Salary: Other (1 of 4)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

40

Salary: Other (2 of 4)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

40

Salary: Other (3 of 4)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

40

Salary: Other (4 of 4)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

40

Substitutes: RegularArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

40

Substitutes: OtherArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

40

Leaves: BereavementArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

40

Leaves: Child RearingArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

40

Leaves: Legal MattersArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

40

Leaves: Maternity (1 of2)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

40

Leaves: Maternity (2 of2)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

41

Leaves: Personal (1 of 5)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

41

Leaves: Personal (2 of 5)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

41

Leaves: Personal (3 of 5)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

41

Leaves: Personal (4 of 5)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

41

Leaves: Personal (5 of 5)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

41

Leaves: Sabbatical (1 of 5)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

41

Leaves: Sabbatical (2 of 5)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

41

Leaves: Sabbatical (3 of 5)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

41

Leaves: Sabbatical (4 of 5)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

41

Leaves: Sabbatical (5 of 5)Arbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

42

Job Security: PromotionArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

42

Job Security: OtherArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

42

PEF: Public Employees FederationNewsletter (special edition) of the NYS Parole Officers Association POA News, n.d., c. 1975;
program for Eastern Conference of Service Employee Unions, SEIU First Convention, May 29-30,
1975; Cost of PEF Campaign, May 1, 1977, to August 31, 1977; PEF campaign flyers; memo re
NYSUT costs related to PEF, September 23, 1977; story list for PEF Communicator, comparing
CSEA and PEF, November 11, 1977; PERB decision in PEF vs. CSEA case holding that there is no
contract to bar an election, with cover memo from NYSUT general counsel James Sandner, October
31, 1977; PEF press releases re campaign to represent state technical workers; agreement
between NYSUT and SEIU to continue the Public Employees Federation in spite of the withdrawal
of other participating labor organizations, July 20, 1977; correspondence with PERB, May 1977;
manual, Organizing New York State Employees: An Informational Booklet for President George
Meany compiled by SEIU on behalf of the New York Coalition of Unions (AFT, SEIU, AFSCME,
Laborers, Building Trades Council, Teamsters Local 237); reports on authorization cards
collected as of June 12 and 20, 1975, and other dates; brochure, What the United Teachers Can
Do for You; issues and answers sheet comparing PEF and CSEA services; other PEF campaign
materials; CSEA anti-PEF brochure, focusing on strike record of affiliated unions; letter from
PEF to Ridge Hill Faculty Association, June 6, 1975; letter from Tom Hobart and Al Shanker to
medical practitioners, June 16, 1975; letter to nurses, June 16, 1975; similar letters to
various professionals; text of articles for second edition of PEF Communicator, July 11, 1975;
NYS Office of Employee Relations Employee Relations Manual, Section 12: Elections, May 1975;
memo to Vito DeLeonardis from John Kraemer, discussing strategy for campaign to challenge CSEA
as representative for professional, scientific, and technical state employees, May 29, 1975;
petition for certification to PERB by PEF: A Federation of Affiliated Unions, August 28,
1975

42

PEF: General Correspondence (1 of 2)Western Union telegram to PERB from Jerry Wurf, president, American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), requesting holding action on PEF representation
petition for NYS technical employees pending completion of AFL-CIO Article XX proceeding for
settlement of internal disputes, April 21, 1978; copy of telegram to George Meany, president,
AFL-CIO, from Al Shanker, AFT, and George Hardy, SEIU, asserting that Article XX charge by
AFSCME itself violated Article XX, April 24; related correspondence; PERB certification of PEF
and order to negotiate, September 27, 1978; related decision; CSEA legal briefs in state
Supreme Court, decision and order in Appellate Division, SeptemberOctober; letter from NYSUT
counsel James Sandner to NYS Office of Employee Relations, outlining plan for transition of
representation by CSEA to PEF, September 25; letter from Sandner to state comptroller Arthur
Levitt, re Public Employees Federation Policy on Agency Fee Dues Refunds, September 25;
Agreement and Declaration of Trust Establishing the Public Employees Federation Group Benefits
Program, September 26; proposed by-laws; list of members of PEF Negotiations Advisory
Committee; list of members of PEF Executive Board; Steward's Manual; PEF Job Group Breakout,
number of persons in each federal occupational category by state agency; tentative list,
interim Executive Board, August 10; list of members of Wage & Policy Committee; memo
to PEF Steering Committee, "To Do Immediately upon Certification," September 20; PEF campaign
update to Al Shanker, AFT, and George Hardy, SEIU, from Vito DeLeonardis and John Geagan,
April 6; letters from DeLeonardis to individual NYSUT service center directors, thanking them
for help in PEF campaign, April 18; PEF update from Jim Conti to Tom Hobart, April 17; list of
logistical questions re transition to PEF, from Jim Conti to Tom Hobart, April 17;
confidential list of questions by field representatives re governance, from Conti to Hobart,
April 17; confidential memo from Conti to Hobart re suggested staffing and service program for
PEF, April 17; letter from Vito DeLeonardis to Al Shanker and Tom Hobart requesting meeting to
discuss major issues re transfer of power from CSEA to PEF, April 13; letter to Vito
DeLeonardis from NYC coordinator Tony Ficcio describing work by staff to accomplish PEF
victory, April 15; letter from Tony Ficcio to Jim Conti, urging that control of servicing New
York City be maintained by NYSUT regardless of eventual structure of PEF governance, noting
political activism of members, April 18; anti-CSEA flyers, criticizing holdup of collective
bargaining by challenge to results of election, delaying certification; pro-PEF flyers;
confidential report to NYSUT Executive Committee from Sub-Committee on PEF re options for
governance structure, n.d.

42

PEF: General Correspondence (2 of 2)Letters to members from CSEA re PEF challenge, warning that some authorization cards could
have been forged, June-October; SEIU flyer reprinting finding of PERB hearing officer that no
forgeries were made, no collusion with management occurred, and that PEF had established that
it represented the majority of employees in the PS&T unit, July 20, 1978; brief of
appeal by CSEA in state Supreme Court Appellate Division, November 22, 1978; list of PEF
AFL-CIO Negotiations Advisory Committee Members, 1/24/79; outline, Suggested Presentation
Approach, discussing reasons for maintaining relationship between NYSUT and PEF;
correspondence re interim plans to provide service to locals after PEF certification; memo re
PEF disability plan, December 12, 1978; correspondence re allegations of violation of Article
XX in AFL-CIO constitution; letter to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from president of Associated
Community College Faculties, noting dissolution of organization and transition to affiliation
with New York Educators Association-NEA, July 5, 1978; letter on behalf of PEF, authorizing
consultant Martin E. Segal & Company to develop package of insurance plans, May 10,
1978; related correspondence; CSEA campaign flyers; Manual on Lay-Off Procedures, Municipal
Services Division, NYS Department of Civil Service, April 1975; letter from American
Federation of Teachers to Amalgamated Bank of New York, referencing check in the amount of
$10,000 payable to Public Employees Federation (PEF) for deposit to collective bargaining
campaign account for state employees, July 5, 1978

PEF: Legal Cases (CEA v. Newman)Brief before PERB, New York State Employees Council 50, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, petitioner, and
State of New York, and Civil Service Employees Association, Inc., Respondents: Trial
Memorandum of Respondent State of New York, 1968; opinion of the NYS Court of Appeals re PERB
ruling, March 27, 1979; memos from NYSUT general counsel James Sandner re Court of Appeals
decision, March 27, April 16, May 7, 1979; related correspondence

42

PEF: Legal Cases (CSEA Dispute)Brief before PERB, In the Matter of the Conduct of an Election between the Civil Service
Employees Association, Inc., and the Public Employees Federation, ALF-CIO: Statement of
Objection; memo to PEF leadership from PEF president John Kraemer, denouncing CSEA's
harassment, December 7; letter to George Meany, president, AFL-CIO, from president of American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, objecting to filing of American
Federation of Teachers and Service Employees International to represent technical employees,
April 21; letter from president of CSEA, related correspondence; PERB decision in PEF filing
to decertify CSEA at Rochester Psychiatric Center; memos to PEF staff from John O'Leary re
sign-in, sign-out arbitration case, eligibility lists, July; document, PERB Powers and
Contract Violations; correspondence with Department of Civil Service re classification of
employee, May-June; materials re other individual cases

James Conti Correspondence (2 of 3)Memos re Improper Practice charges; request for legal opinion re possible improper discharge
of teacher, seniority question in Lancaster district, June 28; request for legal opinion re
layoff of tenured auto mechanic at Erie BOCES II, June 28; legal question of whether a laid
off teacher in Maryvale could turn down an offer on preferred eligibility list and still
remain on list, June 28; materials re 3020a charges against a teacher in Franklinville, June
28; memos re other individual cases; memo re withholding of FICA (Social Security) payments
from tax-sheltered annuities under new law, June 27; letters of congratulations to union
officers in Cattaraugus County BOCES in collective bargaining election, June 24; legal
memorandum from NYSUT counsel Bernard Ashe re transfer of credit in Greenwich Teachers
Association case, Commissioner's decisions, June 21; memo re PEF dues increase, June 14;
arbitration decision in Hamburg Teachers Association and Hamburg Central School District, May
5; decision in Appellate Division, Sweet Home Central School District v. Sweet Home Education
Association, October 29, 1982, and original lower court decision, with cover memo to
coordinators from Jim Conti that school districts were taking position since Sweet Home
decision that transfers could not be negotiated or grieved, June 9, 1983; memo to coordinators
with attached discussion of U.S. Supreme Court decision, Connick v. Myers, limiting public
employees' free speech rights, May 27; text of bill in Assembly amending Education Law re
transfer rights, with cover memo from Jim Conti noting neutral position pending decision in
Appellate Court on Lewiston/Porter case, May 27; memo re health insurance for retirees, April
26; letter to director of improper practices and representation re PERB rules of procedure,
asserting that they encourage employers to delay in certifying petitions, May 23; New York
Times clipping re trend among municipalities contracting out to volunteer groups work that was
formerly done by public employees, with cover memo to coordinators from Jim Conti, May 23;
report to assistant to president of AFT on Conference on Grievance and Arbitration, May 19;
Mediation of Grievances presentation outline to United Food and Commercial Workers Union,
April 25; paper discussing legal aspects of grievance-arbitration procedure, presented to
AFL-CIO presidents and unions, April 20; memo to coordinators re suggested contract provisions
for check-off for NYSUT benefit trust, May 10; memo from Jim Conti to John O'Leary with
recommended field service policy re Article 20 of the AFL-CIO Constitution (non-raiding
clause), May 10; letters to Al Shanker and Jim Conti from PEF member, charging illegal
activities in handling grievance, with reply from Jim Conti noting that complaints would be
investigated, April-May; correspondence re coordinated bargaining, with attached paper by Dr.
Robert Doherty, "Multi-Employer Bargaining in Education," April

53

James Conti Correspondence (3 of 3)Westmoreland Non-Instructional Employees Union contract re health insurance policy and
Teachers Association policy, with cover memo that school district announced it would pull out
of insurance plans, and that grievances had been filed on behalf of both groups, September 16;
memo re claim from attorney that NYSUT pay legal fees for teacher in Janet Heinrich vs.
Marcellus School District, September 6; Statement for Network Organization on the Environment
of the Workplace and Community, with cover letter to ACTWU re meeting and press conference,
December 8; AFT survey of state employees, showing basic information re bargaining unit
classifications and number of members in NYS, November 30; letter from Jim Conti to PERB
Director of Conciliation, proposing experiment in which a school district with labor relations
problems would agree to assistance with negotiations by a neutral, October 31; letter to all
school districts from NYS Social Security Agency re extension agreement for tax sheltered
annuity plans, October 11; correspondence re appeal by the Commissioner of Labor to the
Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board in Ames case, October; material re Improper Practice
charge by General Brown Non-Teaching Association, September; request for information re
school-related personnel rights from paraprofessional in Rockville Centre School District,
September; information re potential refund of Social Security taxes deducted from
tax-sheltered annuities, September 29; memos re professional standards plan for probationary
appointments, developed by Whitney Point school district, September; memo to Vito DeLeonardis
discussing finding alternative approaches to organizing health care workers, noting limited
success, September 30; memos re new Rules and Regulations for Protecting the Public Order,
adopted by the Schodack Board of Education, banning the wearing of protest buttons and other
paraphernalia within a school building, question of violation of constitutional rights,
possible faculty action, August; report to Tom Hobart on New York OSHA/Environmental Network
meeting, September 8

53

Legal Log, Field ServicesList of inquiries fielded to legal staff

53

NYC LegalMemos re potentially precedent-setting unemployment insurance appeal of laid-off teacher
(Linda Schmidt, Vestal) who turned down per diem substitute work, with attached decision and
related case, August 18, 1982; request for legal advice from teacher who returned to work
after disability leave, but could do only limited tasks, April 2, 1983; decisions in the
matter of Nancy Alexander vs. Board of Education of Southold School District and Alexander vs.
NYSUT and Southold Teachers Association, June 30, 1983 (reinstatement issue)

53

Albany LegalOpinion of NYSUT legal counsel that Warren-Washington BOCES teacher whose tenure area had
been abolished had no recourse after reassignment in accordance with Rules of Regents,
December 19; initial inquiry, September 20; request for legal assistance in taxpayer-group
petition for information against Ballston Spa district, November; materials re Improper
Practice charges; request for confirmation of arbitrator's award in Lansingburgh, ordering
reimbursement to teachers for health insurance premiums during summer, and district's
unilateral altering of unpaid leave request dates, September 28; request for confirmation of
arbitrator's award in Troy ordering that records of improper termination of coaches be
expunged, September 21; memos re new Rules and Regulations for Protecting the Public Order,
adopted by the Schodack Board of Education, banning the wearing of protest buttons and other
paraphernalia within a school building, question of violation of constitutional rights,
possible faculty action, August; request to open a case for laid off teacher at
Washington-Warren- Hamilton-Essex BOCES, July 1; per diem contract for the Ballston Spa Per
Diem Substitute Unit, June 28; memos re petition for classification of unit at Adirondack
Community College, June 30; request for legal opinion re teacher in East Greenbush facing
possible 3020a and penal charges for falsifying Regents exam, June 39; request for appeal to
Commissioner re laid-off librarian at Hoosic Valley Central School District (seniority
dispute), June 17; request for appeal to Commissioner re Troy Board of Education in hiring
uncertified coach despite application by certified coach, May 24; PERB decision in
Rotterdam-Mohonasen Central School District (failure to negotiate a change in assignment), May
10; materials re Improper Practice charge against Stillwater Central School District,
including conformation of arbitration award, April-May; materials re agency fee dispute with
teacher at Glens Falls district, 1982-83; memo re possible Commissioner's Appeal in salary
docking dispute for teacher in Amsterdam school district, April 21; request for legal
assistance to represent member of Granville Non-Instructional Employees Association facing
possible dismissal for Section 75 charges, April 12; request for legal opinion re Cambridge
Faculty Association case re sick leave, February 9

53

Albany LegalList of inquiries fielded to legal staff; materials re Improper Practice charges; request
for legal opinion re Open Meetings Law question at Ballston Spa, September 7; request for
opinion re re-deployment of laid-off teacher at South Colonie, October 18; request for pursuit
of confirmation of arbitrator's award in South Colonie re compensation for teachers assigned
cafeteria duties during their preparation period, September 9; request for pursuit of court
order to enforce reinstatement of teacher awarded in arbitration decision at Broadbalbin
district, September 7; materials re layoff and elimination of two jobs in Albany school
district, August 23; materials re possible violation of 2510 rights in appointment dispute in
Lansingburgh district, May; materials re 3014b case at Rensselaer-Columbia-Greene BOCES re
assignments of special education teachers, July; materials re revocation of teaching
certificate of teacher at Brittonkill district on morals charge (Part 83 of Commissioner's
Rules), including letter from NYSUT that legal department had determined the issue was
"personal" and that the union did not represent teachers in cases of that nature, July;
request for appeal to Commissioner or court case on behalf of Hoosic Falls Teachers
Association re accuracy of seniority list, layoff of teacher who had taken maternity leave,
July; request for attorney by the president of the Glens Falls Teachers Association re threat
of lawsuit by middle school principal after release of survey by association indicating
teachers had no confidence in the principal, June 16; material re layoff, recall rights for
teacher in Rensselaer City School District, June 3; legal opinion re possible violations by
North Colonie district of Commission's Regulations Part 200 re education of students with
handicapping conditions (class size requirements for special education students and other
issues), May; legal memo re seniority issues and school consolidation at Niskayuna district,
May; request for legal review of job abolition in Corinth school district, May; request for
legal assistance from Hadley-Luzerne Teachers' Association re threat of libel lawsuit by
district superintendent after association took out an ad criticizing him during school board
election campaign, April 7; memos re other cases at Hadley-Luzerne; request for legal
assistance for teacher at Perth district, suspended on tenure charges, February; materials re
court case in Berlin district re probationary appointment, February; letter to chairman of the
Adirondack Community College Board of Trustees from theater faculty members who was informed
that his contract would not be renewed, resigned, but wanted to appeal, with related memo from
Jim Conti, February; materials re proposed merger of Tri-County Teachers Association of
Warren-Washington-Saratoga-Hamilton Counties and Southern Adirondack League of Teachers
(SALT), with attached constitutions, February; request for attorney to represent teacher in
3020a charges (selling cocaine) in Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady BOCES, January

53

Elmsford LegalMaterials re Improper Practice charges; inquiry re whether school district (Fishkill) was
obligated to pay teacher for years of past experience, March 31, 1983; inquiry as to whether
the Mount Vernon Federation of Teachers constitution ran afoul of the Landrum-Griffin law,
January 1983; memos re recourse of teachers association in Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES
re rights of teachers hired with outside funding, August 1981- March 1982; review of BOCES
health insurance program, February 1982

Mid: Hudson/Kingston Federation of Teachers-Education Support
PersonnelConfidential memos, handwritten notes, newsletters, and other materials re potential
disaffiliation of support personnel from union, election of local officers, concern about
staff involvement with politics of the local, personalities involved; collective negotiations
agreement with district

53

Mid: Hudson/Carol A. Slothin MatterConfidential memos to NYSUT president and executive director Tom Hobart and Vito
DeLeonardis, handwritten and typed notes of phone conversations and meetings, and other
materials re complaints of staffing and management problems at Mid-Hudson Regional Office

Rochester LegalList of inquiries fielded to legal staff in 1982; materials re 3020a charges against a
teacher in the Rush-Henrietta school district involving physical altercation with student
accused of theft, allegation by teacher of racial motivation of charges by district, December
19, 1983; memo re legal interpretation of right of teachers to free lunch period, December 12,
1983; memos re tenure implications of proposed reorganization of Dansville elementary, middle,
and secondary school, transfer of teachers, November-December 1983; Improper Practice charge
re Wheatland-Chili school district re failure to negotiate new job responsibilities, October
1983; correspondence re Commissioner's appeal of Unemployment Insurance decision in Ames case,
October 1983; materials re denial of child rearing leave in Palmyra-Macedon district,
involvement of Human Rights Division, October 1983; correspondence re representation of a
teacher in Webster school district, charged with felony sexual abuse, decision by teacher to
waive right to 3020a hearing and pursue binding arbitration, March-September 1983;
correspondence re Webster case re professional leave, sexual discrimination, May-July 1983;
legal brief re stay of arbitration in Hilton school district, July 1982; legal questions re
cutbacks in Driver Education programs in Gates-Chili school district, July 13, 1983; materials
re 3020a case (absenteeism) in Honeoye school district, July 1983; legal memo and related
correspondence re layoff question in Gates-Chili school district, July 1983; legal questions
re tenure, unemployment insurance, June 1983; memos re seniority credit for teacher in
Spencerport, June 1982; memo re seniority credit while on unpaid leave (Honeoye Falls- Lima),
recommendation for filing grievance and Improper Practice charge, May 1983; Improper Practice
charge re unilateral change in working conditions at Spencerport re use of district vehicles,
May; request by Korean War veterans for service credit in NYS Teachers Retirement System,
April 12, 1983 (West Irondequoit), related memos; Improper Practice charges for Canandaigua
City School District Clerical Association, Greece Support Services Employees Association;
request for legal opinion re seniority credit for prior (interrupted) service at Fairport
district, February 1983; seniority question re part-time service at Spencerport, January 1983;
legal memo re possible seniority claim at Rush-Henrietta, March 1983; memo re petition to
state Supreme Court for lost wages by physical education teacher in East Irondequoit, December
1983; recall rights question at Livingston-Steuben-Wyoming BOCES, August 1982; materials re
abolition of teaching position at Gates-Chili, July 1982; similar layoff cases; memo re
disproportionate punishment of bus driver at Rush-Henrietta, June 21, 1982; memo re abolition
of 26 teaching positions at Rush-Henrietta, impacting most tenure areas, June 16, 1982; memos
re subcontracting of bus services at Wheatland-Chili, May-June, 1982; request for local
assistance funding in unemployment insurance case of teacher aide whose case was lost on
appeal by Rochester City School District, April 29, 1982; correspondence re failure of
Penfield school district to make Social Security contributions for teacher for ten years,
March 1982; legal memo re restoration of dental hygienist position to full time in Dundee
district, February 1982; tenure rights question at Spencerport re physical education teacher,
health as separate tenure area, March 1, 1982; memo re age discrimination case at Monroe
Community College, February 12, 1982; memo re potential strike situation at East Irondequoit,
Improper Practice charge, February 12, 1982; Improper Practice charge against Monroe Community
College on behalf of part-time and adjunct faculty members, related memos, January 6, 1982;
materials re emergency evacuation plan at Webster school district, question of Commissioner's
Regulations, January 13, 1982; memos re loss of health benefits by teachers laid off at
Rush-Henrietta school district, January 1982; legal memo re tenure issue for remedial reading
teacher in Victor, January 12; letters of thanks from Jim Conti to field representatives and
NYSUT directors for work on collective bargaining campaign, February 12, 1982

54

Southern Tier LegalChronology of layoff situation for elementary school teacher in Charlotte Valley, question
of seniority, December; materials documenting legislative intent of section of Education Law
allowing school districts to contribute to the premium costs of insurance plans, as research
for Improper Practice charge in Windsor school district, 1961-1983; summons with notice in
state Supreme Court, served on both Sidney School District and Sidney Teachers Association for
breach of contract and breach of duty of fair representation re termination of probationary
teacher, related memos, December; Improper Practice charges against various districts; opinion
from NYS Social Security Agency re tax-sheltered annuities, October 11; memos re reprimand of
teacher at Newfield for refusal to perform duty at awards ceremony, including confidential
memo that district was correct, behavior of teacher "reprehensible," and incident and related
Improper Practice charge could set back relations ten years, August-October; memos re
Harpursville district going outside of teaching staff for coaching position, October;
materials re 3020a case against a Bainbridge-Guilford teacher for striking a student with a
stick, August-October; materials re Whitney Point change in professional standards for
probationary appointments, memo that union could do nothing about it, July-October; review of
Broome-Delaware-Tioga BOCES collective bargaining agreement, noting violation of federal sex
discrimination law, October; memos re rights of laid-off teacher in New Berlin district,
September; memos re probationary status of occupational therapist at Cortland-Madison BOCES,
September; correspondence with PERB, request for order for enforcement, re self-funded
insurance at Corning, June-August; materials re 3020a charges (absenteeism) against a teacher
in Elmira school district, June; memos re layoffs resulting from takeover of special education
programs by Binghamton school district and a consortium of three BOCES, May; Commissioner's
Decision (Niver) re rights of former Steuben BOCES driver's education teacher, related memos,
March-June; memo re school-related personnel acting as teacher substitutes in Windsor Central
School District, March 24; memo re recall rights of teacher laid off by Chenango Forks
district, February; materials re Elmira district's demand for repeated physical and
psychological testing of guidance counselor after hospitalization, January; Improper Practice
Charge re unilateral change in health insurance for retirees by Newfield school district,
January 10; memos re Cortland-Madison BOCES teacher of severely multiple handicapped children,
who resigned rather than risk exposure to child with congenital herpes requiring total care,
statewide legal implications, November 1982-January 1983

54

Southern Tier LegalList of inquiries fielded to legal staff in 1982; letter asking advice from insurance
consultant Martin E. Segal Company re new coordination of benefits agreement requested of
locals, health insurance coverage for couples working for the same school district, October
22; materials re Improper Practice charges against various districts; memo re dues overpayment
and refund, Sidney Non-Teaching Personnel Organization, October 18; repeated requests for
legal assistance with work overload situation at Charlotte Valley, January-October; memos re
tenure and layoff question for teacher at Chenango Forks who was not properly notified that
change in assignment would affect tenure status, July; request for review of contract language
re early retirement incentive in Greene, June; memos re absorption of Elmira Student Center
program by Chemung BOCES, MayJune; legal memo and related materials re elimination of school
nurse teacher positions, replacing with RNs, at Chenango Forks, May-June; request to insurance
consultant Martin E. Segal Company for comparisons of health insurance plans from private
carriers, March 2; request for review of agreement between Vestal School District and Vestal
Teachers Association re determination of seniority and maintenance of accurate lists,
potential problems, February 26; legal memo re salary dispute by teacher who resigned her
position prior to accepting another at Otselic Valley, February; legal memo re right to
hearing for teacher charged with insubordination by Elmira City School District, question of
whether charge was a discipline or a reprimand, February; timeline and related correspondence
re alleged strike by Horseheads guidance counselors, January; legal memo affirming the right
of a school district to abolish or divide positions, February 12

54

Suffolk LegalImproper Practice charges against Center Moriches and Elwood school districts, November;
request for legal assistance for Ballston Spa district in fighting taxpayer-group lawsuit,
November; letter to teacher re mandatory retirement, indicating school district was within its
legal rights, June 17

54

Syracuse LegalList of inquiries fielded to legal staff in 1982; materials re 3020a charges against a
teacher at Liverpool school district, July 1983; legal memo and related materials re tenure
question at North Syracuse Central School District, July 1 and September 1983; Improper
Practice charges against various districts; collective bargaining agreement between Liverpool
Central School District and United Liverpool Faculty Association, 1982-84, outlining grievance
procedure, with memo re possible contract violation in arbitrating a case for a non-member,
noting serious union security implications, December 20, 1983; correspondence with PERB re
Employee Application for Designation of Persons as Managerial or Confidential by Phoenix
Central School District, January-December 1983; materials re possible Commissioner's Appeal
for part-time teacher in Canastota, December 15; materials re possible violation of
Commissioner's Regulations re teaching load at Port Byron district, November 1983; memo re
right to position at Onondaga-Madison BOCES, October 11, 1983; related seniority issue, May
17; correspondence re attorney's claim for payment in case of Heinrich v. Marcellus Central
School District, 1981- September 1983; notice of petition for stay of arbitration in Onondaga
Community College case, August 1983; related materials, April; notice of petition to confirm
award of arbitrator by Liverpool Central School District, memo noting that local had not
planned to appeal award, July 1983; materials re 3020a case against a Weedsport teacher for
incompetence, June 1983; Memorandum of Understanding between the Hannibal Central School
District and the Hannibal Faculty Association re health insurance buy-out encouraging
withdrawal from the insurance plan, provisions for couples, with cover memo requesting close
scrutiny, March 17, 1983; materials re refusal of Auburn City School District to provide
personnel files to state Human Rights Division in sex discrimination case, efforts to
discredit union, March 1983; materials re Onondaga Central School District's intention to
subcontract out its transportation system, demand by union to negotiate decision, February
1983; request for review and advice re Jamesville-DeWitt district's creation of a full-time
rotating substitute teacher, question of whether position was entitled to probationary status,
February 1983; materials re possible violation of teacher's preferred eligibility rights,
Phoenix school district, February 1983; memos re Liverpool Middle School tenure case, December
1982; memo re Teachers' Retirement System Convention reimbursement for delegate expenses,
inability to sue district, November 1982; chronology of events re suspension of bus driver in
LaFayette district, appeal to Civil Service Commissioner, request for enforcement, November
1982; memos re involuntary reduction in credited work time for teacher at Onondaga-Madison
BOCES, September-October 1982; memos re tenure/seniority questions arising from the creation
of two new positions in the Cazenovia school district, September 1982; request for legal
advice re Canastota district's intention to move from state health insurance plan to
self-funded insurance, September 1982; memo re demand from teacher for legal assistance from
North Syracuse Education Association in defending 3020a charges, despite her never having
joined the union, threat of liability for breach of duty of fair representation, August 1982;
materials re retaliation (demotion) by Onondaga-Madison BOCES against tenured speech
pathologist who complained about program for the deaf to State Education Department's office
for handicapped services, July 1982; materials re tenure status of Liverpool teacher, March
1982; materials re pursuit of stay of arbitration (Solvay) or vacating awards (Oswego), March
1982; legal memo discussing Auburn and general school districts' budget and financial audit
and control procedures, with attached document from State Education Department re contingency
budgets, February-March 1982; request to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from Onondaga Community
College Federation of Teachers to pursue injunction against college's elimination of drama
department, reply from Hobart that other avenues must be exhausted, irreparable harm could not
be proved, January 1982; request for legal review for Oswego Teachers Association re school
nurse teachers, hiring of RNs instead, with attached arbitration decision, January 1982;
correspondence and legal documents re Marcellus High School seniority issue, reduction from
full-time to part-time, January 1982

54

Utica LegalList of inquiries fielded to legal staff in 1982; memo re bureaucratic mix-up by State
Education Department in issuing permanent certification to teacher in Stratford school
district, realization by SED of mistake 7 years later and subsequent demand to return it,
ensuing legal battle, December 1, 1983; request for legal review of termination of term
substitute teacher at Frankfort-Schuyler district, dispute over right to 30-day's pay,
November 1983; memo re Westmoreland district's intention to pull out of statewide health
insurance plan, with attached contract language for teachers and for non-instructional
employees, September 30; materials re layoff of two tenured teachers at Herkimer district,
July 1983; Improper Practice charges at various districts; memo re proposal by Civil Service
Department to amend Civil Service Law to allow appointing one of top three on eligibility
list, which NYSUT would oppose, March 1983; list and text of legal citations requested by
regional staff director Vinnie Grove, January 1983; letter from member thanking NYSUT for help
after being fired, with cover memo from Vinnie Grove asking whether the letter should be
published in New York Teacher, January 1983; materials re dismissal of a probationary teacher
in the Adirondack Central School District, July 1982; memo re intention of Cherry Valley
school district to pull out of statewide health insurance plan in favor of self- insurance,
possible contract violation, May 1982; materials re teacher of emotionally disturbed children
at Madison/Oneida BOCES who was told that she was being recommended for termination two months
after receiving tenure, and after being severely assaulted by a student, May 1982; materials
re bus driver, also working nights as custodian, fired from both positions without notice by
Oriskany school district, April 1982; request for legal review of first-aid standing orders at
St. Johnsville Central School District in the absence of the school nurse, April 1982;
correspondence and minutes of St. Johnsville Central School Board meeting re reinstatement of
teacher believed to have been improperly terminated, January-February 1982; request for legal
assistance for two teachers terminated by the Utica City School System, January 1982

Western NY LegalImproper Practice charges at various districts; legal memo re Erie BOCES II
tenure/seniority/layoff question re elimination of auto mechanics position, November 8, and
earlier memos, June; materials re 3020a case at Springville involving district's pressuring
teacher to retire, threat of public challenge to competency, Human Rights Division claim,
December; materials re Niagara Falls tenure issue, noting that the correct teacher was
recalled, December; materials for Article 78 proceeding against Leroy Central School District
in terminating a probationary teacher, September; details in 3020a case of West Seneca teacher
who had failed to obtain timely certification, September; materials re 3020a case against
teacher at Sweet Home Central School District of Amherst and Tonawanda (immoral conduct),
September; layoff/tenure question at Lewiston-Porter district, September; legal memo re
seniority status of teacher at Lancaster district, September 8, with attached Commissioner's
Appeal, earlier memos, June; history of appointments at Kenmore school district, showing
pattern of hiring term substitute teachers at the beginning of school year, terminating them
at the end of the school year, then rehiring them at the beginning of the next school year,
August 22; seniority list at Kenmore district, question of tenure status of probationary
teacher, reduction in hours, August; materials re layoff situation (reduction and reassignment
of staff) at Depew district, seniority rights, August; memo requesting legal assistance for
tenured science teacher at Lewiston-Porter, complex layoff situation involving several other
teachers, June 27; memos re EEOC charges against Cheektowaga teachers local, June; materials
re 3020a charges against teachers at Sweet Home Central School District and Frontier Central
School District, July; materials re teacher working at Clarence school district, on preferred
eligibility list for librarians at Maryville school district, now choosing between two job
offers, question of impact on eligibility status, June; materials re 3020a (immoral conduct)
and criminal charges against teacher in Franklinville, June; complex tenure question at
Dunkirk re teachers facing layoff, possible bumping an administrator, June; materials re Lake
Shore arbitration ordering that psychiatric coverage be reinstated, need to have arbitration
confirmed in court, June; materials request for legal assistance in layoff /seniority case at
Cleveland Hill district, June; arbitrator's award in Hamburg case, sustaining grievance, with
attached Appellate Court decision in Sweet Home case re whether transfers can be negotiated or
grieved, June; memos re petition to vacate arbitration award by the Akron Central School
District, June; memo to Cattaraugus/Allegany/Erie/Wyoming BOCES faculty from the Enchanted
Mountain Teachers Association Steering Committee notifying them that a representation petition
had been filed with PERB, April 11; legal memo re seniority status of three teachers at Depew
district, March 30; memos re layoff of NYSUT member resulting from action taken by NYEA on
behalf of one of its members at Niagara-Wheatfield, March; request for attorney to represent
teacher in 3020a case involving absence because of birth of granddaughter overseas, March;
memos re layoffs in Tonawanda district, related grievances, arbitrations, and court cases,
December 1982-January 1983; Erie County Supreme Court decision in Buenzow et al. v.
Lewiston-Porter Central School District and Board of Cooperative Educational Services,
Orleans-Niagara Counties, and related memos, January 1983; memos re teacher at West Seneca
school district who had run out of sick leave, requested extended leave without pay, but whose
position was declared abandoned by the district, possible recourse to 3020a hearing, February;
materials re 3020a case (conduct unbecoming) against a teacher in Frontier district, convicted
of criminally negligent homicide after a hit-and-run accident that killed a child, serving
prison time, February

54

Grievance Procedure: ArbitrabilityArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

54

Grievance Procedure: ArbitrabilityArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

55

Grievance Procedure: ArbitrabilityArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

55

Grievance Procedure: ArbitrabilityArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

55

Grievance Procedure: TimelinessArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

55

Grievance Procedure: TimelinessArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

55

Grievance Procedure: Class GrievanceArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

55

Grievance Procedure: Procedural ProblemsArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

55

Grievance Procedure: Right of Association to GrieveArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

55

Grievance Procedure: OtherArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

56

Job Security DischargeArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

56

Job Security: DischargeArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

56

Job Security: DischargeArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

56

Job Security: DischargeArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

56

Job Security: DischargeArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

56

Job Security: DischargeArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

56

Job Security: DischargeArbitration summaries and text of awards for grievances at various school districts

Coordinator's MeetingSeptember 16, 1980. Agenda and minutes; Executive Director's report; article reprints;
Report on the 59th Representative Assembly of the National Education Association, July 1-6,
1980, prepared for officers and staff of the American Federation of Teachers by Peter Learman,
director of field communications, AFT/AFL-CIO (highly negative); monthly report of the NYSUT
Division of Research and Educational Services

Coordinator's MeetingAugust 20, 1980. Agenda and minutes; Executive Director's Report; memo to Political Action
Committee members re Javits Senate campaign, August 7; list of congressional, Assembly, and
state Senate endorsements by NYSUT Board of Directors, July 14; monthly report of the NYSUT
Division of Research and Educational Services

Coordinator's MeetingJune 24, 1980. Agenda and minutes; Executive Director's Report; list of articles for
discussion; associated materials including article reprints, newspaper clippings; report to
Executive Committee from Vito DeLeonardis re New York City Nurses Hospital collective
bargaining campaign and election, June 5; monthly report of the NYSUT Division of Research and
Educational Services; newsletter, Twilight Zone: An Occasional Report on Bizarre Activities of
the National Education Association for AFT Staff and Leadership, June 1980

Coordinator's MemosMemos to service center coordinators re use of telephones as it related to federal and state
election campaign law, September 27; state Supreme Court Ungerer decision as it related to
suspension without pay, September 21; original Commissioner's Decision, September 17; PERB
board decision and order re reprimand of Ellenville Teachers Association president, September
21; PERB hearing officer's decision re Pierson Teachers Association (Sag Harbor district),
September 21; Commission's Decision re Goldberg (Hicksville) re sick leave payment, September
16; Commissioner's Decision re Leibowitz (NYC) re seniority, September 16; flyer re increase
in retirement benefit, September 20; description of retirement plan, September 10; memorandum
of agreement re interest-free loans for striking teachers, September 10; state Supreme Court
decision re Smith (Unadilla), stay of arbitration, September 10; state Supreme Court decision
re Abissi (Johnson City) re illegal layoff, August 27; state Supreme Court decisions in
Ogdensburg, Gouverneur, and Malone, re stays of arbitration, August 9; request to send
information about NYEA activities to Paul Doyle as soon as possible, July 22; request from Jim
Conti for names of locals that would definitely be going on strike in the fall, July 22;
request that certain information be included in all requests for legal assistance for
teachers, July 21; Court of Appeals/Appellate cases re Commissioner's Decisions (Tuller vs.
Susquehanna Valley, Steele et al. vs. NYC, Meliti), with cover memo urging coordinators to
read them carefully, July 20; Commissioner's Decisions in Grossman and Cadicamo, with cover
memo, July 20; memo noting mandatory attendance at Presidents' Conference, July 16; memo
noting Court of Appeals decisions re Yonkers Federation of Teachers and Long Beach, with
attached opinions, July 12; court cases and cover memo re decisions in Poughkeepsie, Pordum,
Rocker, and Candor, June 30; list of secondary locals approved for affiliation by NYSUT Board
of Directors, June 23; personal and confidential memo to coordinators re picketing SUNY
campuses in support of UUP, May 5; request for list and description of dismissed arbitration
cases, for study with Cornell, April 30; request for negotiations assignments for field
representatives and for notification of impasses as they occur, April 26; agenda and related
materials for Coordinators Meeting of April 13; two state Supreme Court cases (Purcell v. UUP,
arbitration award in Niagara Wheatfield District vs. Niagara Wheatfield Teachers Association)
and one Commissioner's Decision (Onondaga Indian Reservation School), with cover memo,
February 9; list of budget analysis requests, with cover memo, January 12; meeting notices

National Education AssociationLegal memorandum for discussion by NEA, "A Federal Collective Bargaining Statute for Public
Employees: Redesigning the NEA Proposal to Meet the Requirements of National League of Cities
v. Usery, by Robert H. Chanin, Office of General Counsel, October 1976

60

NYS School Boards AssociationLetter from NYS Teachers' Retirement System to executive director of New York State School
Boards Association re determination that retirement at age 55 would incur substantial
additional cost, January 12

PERB General InformationLetter to Jim Conti from arbitrator, requesting payment for services, threatening legal
action, August 30, 1978; other invoices from arbitrators; PERB newsletters; PERB board
decision and order re 23 demands of Orange County Community College Faculty, September 24,
1976; letter from counsel for NYS Office of Employee Relations to PERB deputy chair arguing
that two Improper Practice charges were stale and should be dismissed, March 26, 1976; similar
correspondence; PERB cases: Orange County Community College Faculty Association (board
decision and order), Ellenville Central School District and William Lenard and the Ellenville
Teachers Association (hearing officer's decision and recommended order), Jamestown Teachers
Association (exceptions to hearing officer's report and recommendations), Board of Education
of the Central School District No. 3 of the Towns of Amherst, Clarence and Cheektowaga
(respondent's memorandum)

60

PERB News from PERB ReportsNewsletters

60

PERB: Subpoenas in PERB RecordingsLetter from PERB to NYSUT counsel, clarifying procedure for request for subpoena, November
21, 1973, with cover letters to NYSUT field staff

School District: Taxpayer Rights to Inspect District
RecordsExcerpts from Commissioner's Regulations re financial accounting in school districts,
Comptroller's Opinion, correspondence with president of Livonia Teachers Association, April
21, 1970

60

School FinanceOverview of New York State's System for Financing Public Schools, by (NYS) Division of the
Budget, November 2; City Schools in Fiscal Crisis: City School Districts and Their
Constitutional Tax Limits 1977-78, May 1978, by NYSUT Division of Research and Educational
Services

60

School Related PersonnelMemo to participants at the School Related Personnel (SRP) Conference, noting high
satisfaction rate with conference, November 13; NYSUT Committee on Auxiliary Personnel Report
on the Role of Paraprofessionals in School Systems; 1978 School Related Personnel Conference
Summary of Evaluation Forms; responses to questionnaire about how locals were organized dues,
relationship with teachers, other issues; confidential Report on School Related Personnel,
including attached Report of Ad Hoc Committee for School Related Personnel; memo to Jim Conti
and other NYSUT directors re SRP conference, listing suggestions, including changing name to
Educational Support Personnel, November 14; memo from NYSUT president Tom Hobart to local
presidents, inviting them to attend first statewide SRP conference, noting NYSUT would
underwrite many of the costs, with attached registration form, September 19; Coordinators
Recommendations on School Related Personnel, with cover memo, June 9

60

Social SecurityBooklet, "The Value of Social Security," by the Social Security Institute; booklet by the
Social Security Administration, "Your stake in social security as a public employee"; memos by
NYSUT Division of Research and Educational Services, "Some Facts and Issues on Social
Security," re impact of the withdrawal of a political entity from the Social Security system,
as proposed by the City of New York, May 25, 1976; letter from NYS Attorney General Louis
Lefkowitz to NYS Comptroller Arthur Levitt, noting that law barred political subdivisions from
withdrawing from Social Security, October 3, 1977

60

Special EducationMemo to Jim Conti requesting draft contract language for NYSUT locals for special education
teachers, February 11; memo to Conti and others with questions re legal liability of teachers
in Farmingdale and generally, who were asked to sign an individualized education plan for
special education children, February 15

60

Staff AssignmentsConfidential memo from R. I. Allen to NYSUT executive director Vito DeLeonardis re staffing
patterns at the Albany service center; schedules of attorneys at Elmsford and Long Island
regional offices, 8/23/77; staff assignments for bargaining for 1977-78; fact sheet re
Reduction in Force (RIF, elimination of positions) and how they affected tenured and
probationary teachers

60

State Aid: General InfoNew York State Educational Conference Board Proposal for 1977-78 State Aid to Public
Schools, January 1977; fact sheets prepared by NYSUT Division of Research and Educational
Services, "What's Wrong with the Recommendation for State Aid to Education in the Executive
Budget?" March 4, 1977, and Comparison of State Aid to School Districts under the Executive
Budget Proposal and the Legislation Enacted March 31, 1977 (1976-77 to 1977-78), March 23,
1977; printout, Preliminary Estimate of 1977-78 State Aid for Elementary and Secondary Schools
under Executive Budget Proposal, January 14, 1977; printout, 1976-77 State Aid for Elementary
and Secondary Schools (Revised Estimates), prepared by NYSUT Division of Research and
Educational Services, May 1976, with cover letter to local presidents from NYSUT second vice
president Antonia Cortese, June 11, 1976; New York Teacher issue prepared for the NYS
Legislature by NYSUT Division of Research and Educational Services, "Facts about State Aid to
Elementary and Secondary Schools," March 20, 1977; United Teachers Legislative Program 77,
January 6, 1977

60

Strikes: General InformationMemo to Vito DeLeonardis re strikes and crisis procedures, November 2, 1978; AFT strike
training materials and cover letter, July 7, 1978; confidential management strike plan leaked
from Mt. Vernon School District, with cover note to Jim Conti, suggesting it be distributed to
other regional service centers, June 24, 1976; lists of school districts at impasse,
July-August 1976; SEIU strike manual, "How to Conduct a Successful Strike," n.d.; transcript
of taped discussion, "Can the Education of School Children Be Used as a Pawn in Settling
Confrontations? Here and Now Discussion of Teachers' Strikes," n.d., Williamsville Central
School District, Orchard Park Central School District, Erie County Educators Association;
paper, A Comparison of Male and Female Teacher Attitudes Toward the September 1975 Niagara
Falls, New York, Teachers' Strike, by Phyllis Forcucci: a research study submitted in partial
fulfillment of the requirement in Education 595: Research Methods and Techniques, State
University College at Buffalo

60

Suffolk: Middle County T.A. GrievanceCorrespondence re problems with field representative

60

Summer InstituteIndex of booklet, "Public Employees in Court," with cover memo from author John O'Leary to
Jim Conti, noting it was written for course in Buffalo and that Ray had the full copy, June
12, 1978

60

Tax, Property: Equalization RateBooklet by State Board of Equalization and Assessment, "The Equalization Rate in the
Property Tax: What It Is and What It Does," December 1976, with cover memo to field staff
noting clarity of document, July 7, 1977

60

Taylor LawConcepts Involving Arbitration as a Means of Dispute Settlement in the Way of Taylor Law
Revision; Taylor Law Revision; outline of presentation on Taylor Law for Coordinator's Meeting
of November 19, 1976; amendments to Taylor Law adopted by PERB on May 14, 1976

TenureState Education Department memo to district superintendents, school district administrators
and attorneys re changes in procedures relating to charges against tenured personnel, advising
that pending proceedings be deferred until applicability is clarified by legislature, June 22,
1977; State Education Department document re procedures for selection of 3020a panel members,
June 1, 1977; form letter to nominees for hearing panel on charges brought against tenured
teachers, October 12, 1977; memo from R. I. Allen re 3020a seminar, January 4, 1978; State
Education Department document, The Rights of Tenured School District Employees to a Hearing on
Charges Provided by Section 3020-A Education Law, June 1, 1977, with cover sheet, "New Tenure
Hearings" and cover memo to coordinators and service centers, June 9, 1977; staff
recommendations respecting tenure areas; document, "Tenure, Abolition, and Seniority Questions
(under Baer)," compiled by Robert G. Klein for Coordinator's Meeting, May 12, 1976

60

Tenure PanelList of qualified neutrals provided by the American Arbitration Association to be utilized
by the Commissioner of Education in 3020a hearings, June 1, 1977

Unemployment InsuranceBooklets from NYS Department of Labor, "A Guide to Employer Rights and Responsibilities
under the New York State Unemployment Insurance Law: Handbook for Employers with Key Forms,"
1978, and "Local Governments: Coverage under the New York State Unemployment Insurance Law,"
September 1977

UUPCorrespondence between UUP president Samuel Wakshull and PERB trial examiner John Crotty,
NYSUT counsel James Sandner, and others, re SUNY representation election and other issues; UUP
Financial Statement and other financial information, years ended August 31, 1978 and 1977;
Labor Organization Annual Report; "Data Relative to New York State Community Colleges under
SUNY Jurisdiction," prepared by NYSUT Division of Research and Educational Services, March
1977; Report of the Temporary State Commission on the Future of Postsecondary Education in New
York State, March 31, 1977; SUNY booklet, Policies of the Board of Trustees, 1975; campaign
flyers and newsletters

60

VOTE/COPE General InformationMaterial by VOTE-Committee on Political Education (COPE) of NYSUT: tentative schedule, 1978
VOTE/COPE Campaign, daily finance report as of close of day, December 30, 1977; expense report
for year ended December 31, 1976; printout, VOTE/COPE Contribution Listing by Local Within
Service Center as of December 31, 1977; resolution approved by NYSUT Board of Directors:
Recommendation for Carey Endorsement [for governor], October 9, 1978; list of NYS
congressional, Senate, and Assembly candidates, 1978 general election; list with winners
circled, with cover memo, November 13; unofficial 1978 election results, noting political
makeup of congressional delegation and state legislature, NYSUT endorsement record, 11/13/78;
memo to NYSUT Board of Directors re suggested payroll deduction plan for VOTE/COPE, December
1, 1978

60

Zip Code Policy i.e. releasing listsMemo from R. I. Allen to NYSUT president Tom Hobart, seeking clarification of policy;
correspondence with president of the North Rockland Teachers Association re need to obtain
lists of NYC teachers living in zip code areas outside the city

61

Administrative CommitteeSummary of general observations on special board workshop on due process in 3020a procedures
of June 8-9; minutes of Executive Committee meeting of September 27; agenda for Administrative
Committee meeting of September 25, re goals for 1984-85, office pilfering, switchboard relief,
and affirmative action; related memos re goals from NYSUT president Tom Hobart, chief counsel
James Sandner, suggested Legislative Department program for 1985, goals for Field Services,
public relations, New York Teacher, other departments; resolutions adopted by 1984
Representative Assembly and departments to which implementation was assigned; job description
for assistant to the president; Reform Caucus Forum Report, Winter 1984 Delegate Assembly:
UUP's NYSUT/AFT Affiliate Relations, with cover letter to Administrative Committee from Tom
Hobart, June 14; agendas for Administrative Committee meetings of May 8 and April 10, with
related department reports; statement of Ben J. Wattenberg, chairman, Coalition for a
Democratic Majority, before the 1984 Democratic Platform Committee, April 9; testimony of
Terry Herndon, president of Citizens Against Nuclear War, before the Platform Committee of the
Democratic Party, April 9; memo to commissioners of United States Commission on Civil Rights
re program recommendations for FY1984, with cover memo to Administrative Committee, February
1; results of local presidents questionnaire re NYSUT services, by Division of Research and
Educational Services, November 12

61

Board of DirectorsAgenda for December 7-9 meeting; biographical description of James Williams (sic) Guthrie;
Convention Committee and Executive Committee recommendations re potential sites for
Representative Assembly, with attached timeline and agenda; President's Report to NYSUT Board
of Directors, December 7; document prepared by NYSUT Division of Research and Educational
Services, The New Part 100 of Commissioner's Regulations adopted by the Board of Regents at
their November 16, 1984, meeting; NYSUT financial statements and supplementary financial
information, year ended August 31, 1984; comparative balance sheets as of August 31 and July
31, 1984, and August 31, 1983, and as of September 30 and August 31, 1984, and September 30,
1983; NYSUT Benefit Trust progress report; memo to NYSUT president Tom Hobart and
secretary-treasurer Herb Magidson re "Inside Your Schools" program report, November 19; memo
from State Education Department to Board of Regents re renewable contracts for teachers,
November 5; report to NYSUT Board of Directors from coordinator for NYSUT retirees, re large
increase in retired membership, but noting failure by many locals to bill dues to retired
members, December 4; New York Times clippings re national standards proposal, teacher
warranties, November 14, December 4; memo re new area code for Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten
Island, November 26; list of Regents' Action Plan proposals, NYSUT positions on the proposals,
and regulatory outcomes; letter to Board of Directors from Tom Hobart re next (January 20-21)
meeting, with attached materials: NYSUT brochure, "Organized Labor's Foreign Policy: Freedom
of Association," with cover letter from NYSUT second vice president Toni Cortese, certified
independent audit of NYSUT 1982-83 fiscal year, with cover letter from secretary-treasurer
Herb Magidson; summary of actions of Board of Directors meeting of January 20-21, with
attached approved statement, NYSUT Response to Education Reform Initiatives in New York State
and NYSUT Discussion Paper on the Board of Regents' Proposed Action Plan to Improve Elementary
and Secondary Education Results in New York; memo re changes in Board of Directors directory,
January 10; agenda for January 20-21 meeting; minutes of Board of Directors meeting of October
21-22, 1983; Executive Committee minutes, September 15, November 10, and December 8, 1983, and
January 5, 1984; guidelines on vendor access to NYSUT activities; memo re image development
campaign expenditures, December 5

61

Executive CommitteeAgenda of May 31 meeting; Executive Committee minutes of April 6; NYSUT comparative balance
sheet as of April 30, March 31, and August 31; membership analysis; resolutions referred to
Board of Directors by Representative Assembly, with recommendations by NYSUT president Tom
Hobart for committees, May; background material re pay equity; agenda of Executive Committee
of April 6 and associated reports; list of NYSUT-endorsed candidates for delegate and
alternate to the 1984 Democratic National Convention; membership analysis; comparative balance
sheets as of February 29 and January 31, 1984, and August 31, 1983; vita of Harry Lampman;
Facts about the Employee Assistance Program, NYSUT and CSEA; NYSUT Proposal for State Aid and
Education Reform in NYS 1984-85, prepared for NYSUT Board of Directors, March 2-3, 1984;
addendum to draft of NYSUT policy on the Regents' Action Plan to Improve Elementary and
Secondary Education Results in New York, March 3, 1984; draft policy; overview of revisions to
Regents' Action Plan; NYSUT Executive Committee minutes of February 16 meeting

61

Coordinator's MemosMemos to service center coordinators re field service goals, April 27, 1984; implications
for negotiations after legal cases including Sweet Home decision (attached), June 9, 1983; new
presidents conference, June 5, 1983; BOCES promotional brochure (copy attached), June 1, 1983;
text of U.S. Supreme Court decision, Connick v. Myers, and summary of Smith v. Wade, with
cover letter from Jim Conti recommending that all field representatives read them for
relevance to public employees' First Amendment rights, May 27, 1983; memo from Jim Conti re
New York Times article re voluntarism as means of reducing the public workforce, May 23, 1983;
request for suggestions for any changes to arbitration summary sheets, used for inputting
information to database, May 18, 1983; suggested contract provisions to be used when
negotiating for check-off for NYSUT Benefit Trust, May 10, 1983; photocopy of report by
National Commission on Excellence in Education to the Secretary of Education, "A Nation at
Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform," April 26, 1983; New York Times article on
reaction by Al Shanker, May 1, 1983, with cover letter from Jim Conti, calling the report "the
biggest thing that's happened to education in the United States since Sputnik," with potential
to create some of the biggest problems; confidential memo soliciting comments re next PSA
contract, April 28, 1983; memo from R. I. Allen soliciting budget requests, noting planned
purchase of microcomputers for each office, April 19, 1983; request from the Guam Federation
of Teachers for information re potential arbitrator from New York, Don Mullaney, March 31,
1983; memo re new AFT guidelines for expense reimbursement, April 14, 1983; memo from Jim
Conti announcing that he had returned and would be visiting regional offices, April 13, 1983;
memo re accounting procedure for billing, April 8, 1983; memo with attached material re
efforts to contain health insurance costs, April 7, 1983; brochure by the NYS Bar Association,
The Clients' Security Fund, re agency established by NYS to provide a remedy of last resort
for victims of dishonest attorneys, with cover memo, March 31, 1983; memos requesting
confirmation of local welfare funds, March 1983; memo requesting early notification of any
legal problems, March 24, 1983; memos re various staff training programs, including brochure
for NYSUT Effective Teaching Program; NYSUT Information Bulletins re 1983-84 school calendar
and regulations re length of school day, NYS Health Insurance Program; memo re coordination of
distribution of materials to locals; memo re accounting procedure for workshops, January 4,
1983; memo re statewide health insurance, November 23, 1982, with attached Memorandum of
Understanding between the State of New York and Public Employees Federation (PEF) requiring
employee contribution to plan; memos re stationery, business cards, reporting absences or
overtime, other housekeeping items; memo to general counsels and coordinators re recent
Triborough legislation re categories qualifying for Improper Practice charges, September 15,
1982; memo asking for status of organizing efforts for per-diem substitutes, September 14,
1982; list of dates for potential AFT staff assignments by regional office, September 10,
1982; memo re upcoming meeting to discuss strategies for input into a Regents-authorized study
of salaries at schools for children with handicapping conditions (Special Act Schools and 4201
and 853 Schools), August 24, 1982; memo reminding coordinators that phone banks should be
re-established in anticipation of political activities, July 27, 1982; confidential memo from
Jim Conti to coordinators asking for close cooperation with coordinator of organizing, John
O'Leary, outlining procedure, January 28, 1982

Elmsford Regional Office General InfoDetermination dismissing complaint filed with state Human Rights Division against NYSUT,
July 17, 1984; memo from field representative to NYSUT counsel James Brady re complaint
against president and negotiating team of Mahopac Teachers Association by a teacher over
reduced sick bank benefit in new contract, June 21, 1984; materials re Peekskill Faculty
Association, including PERB administrative law judge decision, state Supreme Court summons and
complaint, correspondence re legal representation for NYSUT staff, March-May 1984, exceptions
to the hearing officer's decision and recommended order, July 1983; description of
self-funding by employer for benefit such as health insurance, guidelines for negotiating into
contract; campaign flyers by NEA re East Ramapo non-instructional staff representation
election, February 1984; memo re automatic payroll deduction at East Ramapo district for
political action committee, statewide implications, November 8, 1983; letter of offer to
Elmsford staff member Tony Wildman from Cornell ILR School to teach a course, with attached
permission from NYSUT Field Services Director R. I. Allen, August-November 1983; memo from
state Department of Civil Service re unified coordination of health insurance benefits system,
August 8, 1983; notification from NYSUT secretary-treasurer to Organization of Pius Employees
that they would be disaffiliated if dues were not received, September 20, 1983

Nassau Regional Office General OfficeMemo to Vito DeLeonardis, Jim Conti, and R. I. Allen from coordinators James Gaspari, Frank
Squillace, and John O'Leary, recommending revisions to crisis reimbursement policy, June 22,
1984; revised recommendations, October 26, 1984; letter from James Gaspari to NYSUT president
Tom Hobart, advising him of his intention not to send Nassau local presidents attached letter
from Farmingdale Federation of Teachers protesting dues increase, September 26, 1984; memo to
presidents and delegates re highlights of Board of Directors meeting of September 22, 1984;
monthly coordinators' reports from James Gaspari (Nassau), November 15, 1984, and Jan Conti
(Mid-Hudson), November 26, 1984; Nassau Community College Adjunct Faculty Association Vanguard
newsletter election issue (anti-NYSUT), October 1984; draft of letter to the president of the
Nassau BOCES Council of Teachers re invitation to attend rally, with cover memos from James
Gaspari to Jim Conti, and from Jim Conti to Tom Hobart, May 1983; PERB board decision and
order in the matter of Nassau BOCES and Nassau BOCES Central Council of Teachers, February 10,
1984; schedule of staff reassignment of locals arising from maternity leave of one field
representative, related correspondence, October-November, 1983; agenda and report of staff
meeting of October 24, 1983; Improper Practice charges against Lynbrook and Farmingdale school
districts; PERB hearing officer's decision in matter of East Meadow Teachers' Association and
East Meadow Union Free School District, June 3, 1983; letter from NYSUT first vice president
Kenneth Deedy to John Meehan, president of the Adjunct Faculty Association of Nassau Community
College, re meeting of committee formed to resolve differences between AFA and NYSUT, May 10,
1983

NYC Regional Office General InfoPost hearing brief submitted on behalf of the Long Island University Faculty Federation to
the Regional Director before the National Labor Relations Board, Region 2, in the matter of
Long Island University, employer-petitioner, and Long Island University Faculty Federation,
Local 3998, affiliated with NYSUT, AFT

Potsdam (North County) Robert J. Allen Coordinator's
ReportsCoordinator's reports re negotiations for school-related personnel at various locals; impact
of Fort Drum expansion on local schools, anticipated to be greater than construction of St.
Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s; impact of cuts in dairy price supports on attitudes of farmers,
many of whom sat on school boards, toward teacher salaries, October-December

61

Organizing John O'Leary Coordinator's ReportsMonthly reports on organizing at hospitals, community colleges

61

Organizing CorrespondenceLetter of rejection to candidate for Joint State UUP Labor Management Committee

Southern Regional Tier Office (Vestal) GeneralForm Certificate of Resolution of the Board of Education Regarding a Joint Municipal
Activity Health and Dental Insurance, with attached Rules of the Joint Administrative Body in
Relation to the Cooperative Health Insurance Arrangement of the Broome-Tioga County Area
School Districts; memos from Legislative Department re early retirement incentive, with cover
note to Jim Conti from Chuck Rodgers asking why they were being sent to locals and field
offices, October 1984; newsletter, Southern Tier Briefs, November 1984; newspaper clipping
from the Ithaca Journal, "The UAW and Cornell: The relationship remains unclear," August 17,
1984; PERB decision of administrative law judge in Charlotte Valley Central School District re
unilateral requirement that Charlotte Valley Teachers Association meetings held on school
property be open to the public, July 11, 1984; correspondence with state Insurance Department
re Broome-Tioga County Area School District Joint Administration of Health Insurance
Arrangements, July- August 1984; memo from Jim Conti to Chuck Rodgers re opinion of NYSUT
counsel re Horseheads creation of two part-time home economics positions for the junior and
senior high schools, July 1984; memo from Jim Conti granting permission to file Improper
Practice charge against Corning-Painted Post school district, June 19, 1984; correspondence
with consultant Martin E. Segal Company re Tier III retirement supplement, from president of
Malone Federation of Teachers, May 23, 1984, and with Jim Conti re Clinton, Essex, Warren, and
Washington Counties BOCES re Blue Shield Par Plus health plan, June 7, 1984; PERB board
decision and order re Whitney Point Central School District violation of Taylor Law re
probationary teachers, May 11, 1984; PERB decision of administrative law Judge in Whitney
Point Improper Practice charge re retroactive application of condition of employment, February
7, 1984; state Supreme Court brief, Lippman et al. v. Board of Education of Sewanhaka Central
High School District, October 17, 1983; correspondence re certification for driver education
teacher at Harpursville district, December 1982-December 1983; invitation to legislative
workshop re Governor's budget and Regents Action Plan, from NYS Association of College
Admissions Counselors and NYS Counseling Association, January 3, 1984; correspondence re
settlement of 3020a case at Bainbridge-Guilford district, December 20, 1983-January 1984;
materials re legislative intent of amendment to Education Law enabling school districts to
contract for group insurance, re Improper Practice charge at Windsor district, 1961-1983;
related report of PERB fact- finder; memo re strategy for challenging NEA locals, to be
coordinated with NYSUT media campaign, December 8, 1983; letter notifying of disaffiliation
from NYSUT of Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES Employees' Association, October 20, 1983; related
memo re cost of dues, September 1983; memos re seniority issue at Owego Appalachin district,
June 1983; arbitration award re Bainbridge-Guilford Central School and related memos, July
1983; PERB appointment of fact-finder in case of Unatego Central School District and Unatego
Non-Teaching Association, may 6, 1983; appeals court (Gargiul v. Liverpool Central School
District) and arbitration briefs; list of locals eligible for affiliation with the Tri-County
Labor Council, May 26, 1983

61

Southern Regional Tier Office (Vestal) Charles Rodgers Coordinator's
ReportsList of recent contract settlements, November 13; list of locals with contracts settled
after August 1984, with chief negotiators and field reps, November 13; list of locals in
Syracuse Regional Office area that settled contracts since September 1, 1984, November 12,
1984; monthly reports from Chuck Rodgers re current developments in Broome-Tioga County area
schools, bargaining, organizing efforts against NEA locals, with attached newsletter, Southern
Tier Briefs, Proposed Rules of the Joint Administrative Body in Relation to the Cooperative
Health Insurance Arrangement of the Broome-Tioga County Area School Districts, revised June
19, 1984

61

Suffolk Regional Office General InformationMemo to John DeGregorio from R. I. Allen requesting clarification of various points in his
activity reports, questioning activities of field representatives, noting overall "skimpy"
nature of reports, June 20, 1983; confidential memo from John DeGregorio to Tom Hobart,
listing locals and relationship with attorneys, December 12, 1984; memo from DeGregorio to
local presidents re planned distribution of computers to all offices, with attached
questionnaire re software, equipment, and training desired, November 8, 1984; memo from
DeGregorio to R. I. Allen re Suffolk Community College crisis negotiations, December 12; memo
from DeGregorio re locals that agreed to early retirement program, December 12, 1984; memo
from DeGregorio re changes to NYS health insurance program, cutback in coverage for outpatient
mental health services, impact on EAP utilization, with related materials, including letters
from members protesting the change, October 1984; inquiry to NYSUT legal staff re transfer of
teacher in Smithtown, September 4, 1984; descriptions of job duties for field representatives;
AFT election result form for Half Hollow Hills Substitute Teachers Association, May 23, 1984;
related memo, May 24; collective bargaining agreement between United Cerebral Palsy
Association of Greater Suffolk and NYSUT United Center Employees Association, April 1, 1984,
to March 31, 1987, with cover letter to Jim Conti from John DeGregorio, June 14, 1984; letter
from Amityville Teachers' Association requesting that NYSUT form a coalition of locals to seek
help from the state for massive investment losses by school districts as a result of
bankruptcy of Lion Capital Associates, a firm dealing in government securities, May 29, 1984;
related memo to regional office coordinators, June 1; related remarks by Gordon Ambach,
Commissioner of Education, before the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, May 23, 1984; related
newspaper clipping from Education Week, May 23; highlights of Board of Directors meeting of
March 2- 4, 1984; memos re membership turnover on Wyandanch school district, January 1984;
description of potential Improper Practice charges in Middle Country School District, January
1984; form from state Department of Labor, Report of Collective Bargaining Settlement in New
York State, with request from Jim Conti to return it with requested information, December
1983; PERB hearing officer's decision in Suffolk BOCES II case re paraprofessionals, with
handwritten cover memo to Jim Conti, September 1, 1983; anti-NYSUT flyer mailed by NEA to
locals in Amityville and Three Villages, both in crisis bargaining, with cover letter from
John DeGregorio to Jim Conti, September 7, 1983

61

Suffolk John DeGregoris Coordinator's ReportsReports re negotiations at Suffolk Community College and Bayshore, organizing, staffing,
workshops

62

Syracuse Regional Office General InfoNYSUT Syracuse Regional Office Operations Annual Report 1980-1991; picketing guidelines,
with cover memo, July 23, 1984; memo from NYSUT counsel re seniority status of teacher at
Skaneateles school district, July 18, 1984; Syracuse Post-Standard clipping re rise of
organizing by substitute teachers, May 31, 1984; memo from NYSUT legal counsel re tenure
status of Port Byron teacher, May 14,1984; memo re certification of West Genesee Substitute
Teachers Association, May 2, 1984; related ballot tally and certification by PERB and other
materials; memo re per diem substitute teachers at West Genesee, April 24, 1984; inquiry to
NYSUT legal department re whether use of teacher aides for study hall supervision was legal,
April 9, 1984; memo from Syracuse coordinator Frank Squillace to organizing coordinator John
O'Leary re concern about stability of Benjamin Rush Employees Union as bargaining agent and
its affiliation with NYSUT, possibility of new owner of hospital, attempt to decertify, need
for workshop, March 9, 1984; notification of hearings by state Senator Jim Donovan, chairman
of the Senate Education Committee, re school aid/tuition tax credits, February 16, 1984;
materials re claim for payment by attorney in Heinrich v. Marcellus Central School District
case, September 1983; memo to local presidents advising that they do not release lists of
members' names to third parties, September 16, 1983; memos re age discrimination issue at
Jamesville-DeWitt school district, seeking challenge to policy of automatically cancelling
health insurance to teachers, active or retired, upon reaching 65 years of age, May

62

Syracuse Frank Squillace Coordinator's ReportsList of locals that settled contracts since September 1, 1984, November 12, 1984; activity
reports re negotiations, organizing North Syracuse bus drivers, dues collection problem at
Benjamin Rush hospital, in arrears for two years for thousands of dollars, political activity,
October-December

62

Utica Regional Office General InfoMinutes of NEA-NY Community College Council meeting of September 22, 1984, with cover memos;
letter from NEA-NY Community College Council to Mohawk Valley Community College Faculty
Association president, inviting him to meeting, October 30, 1984; letter from consultant
Martin E. Segal Company noting deleterious effect of legislation on collectively bargained
501(c)(9) trust funds, April 20, 1984; memo from R. I. Allen to Utica regional coordinator
Vinnie Grove re assignment of field reps to assist AFT, February 15, 1984; memo re unusual
aspects of Remsen contract settlement, May 13, 1983

62

Utica Vinnie Grove Coordinator's ReportsReports re negotiations, school district mergers, high asbestos levels at Middle School in
Camden district, concern over possible merit-based award program at Cherry Valley school
district

62

UUP General InfoUUP at Canton Newsletter, November 16, 1983; memo from Canton chapter president outlining
problems with faculty sabbatical leaves

62

Western NY (Buffalo) Regional Office General InfoList of locals that settled recently, November 21, 1984; President's Report and Provocator
newsletters of NEA-affiliated Buffalo Teachers Federation; letter from Al Shanker to Tom
Hobart, noting grant of $7000 from AFT to NYSUT, September 10, 1984; agenda for meeting of
November 14, 1984, of SRP (School-Related Personnel) Council of Western NY, with attached
minutes of meeting of September 19, 1983; summary of summer meetings in E.D. 1. September 14,
1984; letter to information services director, Erie County I BOCES, from several local
presidents and E.D. directors, expressing concern over planned Teacher Resource and Computer
Training Center, July 20, 1984, with cover memo to local presidents in E.D. 1, 2, and 4;
coordinator's report from Ron Uba, November 27, 1984; schedule for "Inside Your Schools" cable
program, October 30, 1984; letter from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Western NY re Chautauqua
County Medical Benefits Plan rate increase, June 25, 1984; letter from teacher from Amherst
Central School System re determination of seniority status vs teacher with identical start
date, layoff, September 6, 1984; NY Times clipping re U.S Supreme Court ruling that seniority
was higher criterion than race in layoff decisions, June 13, 1984; survey by public opinion
research firm Peter D. Hart Associates re attitudes about teaching, with cover memo from Ron
Uba re potential use in Buffalo area, March 2, 1984; newsletter of NYSUT Retirees of Western
NY, The NYSUT Retiree, with cover letter to local presidents from chair of Retirees Organizing
Committee, noting upcoming activities, February 27, 1984; memo re strategies to affiliate the
Buffalo Federation of Teachers with NYSUT, January 30, 1984; mailgrams and related
correspondence requesting legal assistance from NYSUT for teacher laid off in
Cheektowaga-Sloan Central School District, September 1983-January 4, 1984; handwritten notes
of December 8, 1983, meeting re organizing efforts in Buffalo; letter from Western NY
coordinator Ron Uba to president of Niagara Falls Teachers re recommended response to layoffs,
elimination of special teachers, reduced elementary preparation time and resulting increase in
duties re special subjects, need for task force and survey, December 13, 1983; memo from Ron
Uba to Jim Conti requesting information supporting assertion that NEA was anti-AFL-CIO, in
preparation for meeting with Buffalo AFL-CIO Executive Board, December 12, 1983; PERB board
decision and order re Cheektowaga-Maryvale Union Free School District and hearing officer's
decision that district had violated Taylor Law, September 27, 1978; handwritten notes re
Western NY Regional Office staff meetings, November 2 and May 24, 1983; list of NEA locals in
eight counties in Western NY, December 8, 1983; notification from Unemployment Insurance
Appeal Board that tape of hearing before administrative law judge in Pembroke school district
case had been lost and therefore decision was rescinded, and new hearing had to be held,
November 16, 1983; materials re upcoming meetings of Industrial Relations Research Association
and Retirees Organizing Committee, October 1983; agenda for negotiations and contract
enforcement workshop, October 12, 1983; memo to Vito DeLeonardis from R. I. Allen reporting on
September 14 staff meeting of Western NY office, September 19, 1983; confidential memo from
Jim Conti to Ron Uba, praising his role in Cattaraugus County BOCES representation election,
June 24, 1983; similar letters to field staff and president-elect of new local; PERB consent
agreement re Cattaraugus BOCES, May 20, 1983; related campaign materials; exchange of memos
between Ron Uba and Jim Conti re Sweet Home arbitration award re transfer of teachers,
May-June 1983; materials re possible disaffiliation of LeRoy Teachers Association, including
flyer promoting NYSUT, May 1983; memo to local presidents from Western NY Board of Directors
requesting expressions of support for striking Nurses United, affiliated with Communication
Workers of America, AFL-CIO, May 13, 1983

Executive Committee MeetingAugust 14, 1996. Agenda; blank agreement for employees with East Islip Union School
District; letter from Al Shanker re rise in apparent hate crimes, burnings of predominantly
black churches and those whose leadership had spoken out against intolerance, fund by AFT to
help rebuild, July 2, 1996, with attached New York Times clipping; letter from American Cancer
Society re SmokeLess States campaign, supporting higher tobacco excise tax among other
policies, August 7; memo from New York Healthy Schools Network, urging endorsement of Clean
Air, Clean Water Bond Act, August 9; materials from New York State School Boards Association
re tenure, including commentary by president, schedule of public forums

Executive Committee Meeting (Chuck Santelli)June 13, 1996. NYSUT Executive Committee minutes of May 16; NYSUT Building Corporation Board
of Director's meeting agenda of June 13; memo to NYSUT Executive Committee from president Tom
Hobart recommending members for Ad Hoc Task Force on School Funding, June 13, with attached
resolution by Representative Assembly, urging creation of task force; NYSUT Committee
Nominations, 1996-1998, by Executive Committee; list of requests for affiliation; NYSUT dues
forecast; confidential salary schedule for supervisory and other confidential employees;
Report of the NYSUT Task Force on New Members; bid summary for 1999 Representative Assembly
convention at Niagara Falls, including status of union employment of service workers;
Associated Press (AP) text of article, "Regents Approving New History Curriculum for New York
Schools," June 13; draft Report on Proposals for a 12-Month School Year, by NYSUT Division of
Research and Educational Services; draft versions of two school report cards provided from the
State Education Departments, with cover letter from NYSUT second vice president Antonia
Cortese to NYSUT Executive Committee, June 13; draft of letter from Cortese to Education
Commissioner Richard Mills re possible pitfalls of proposed school report cards, June 12;
newspaper clippings re impact of state budget cuts on schools; letter from New York State
School Boards Association to president of the Rochester Teachers Association re presentation
at summer academy, "Educational Standards: Preparing for the Future," with attached agenda,
May 9

66

Executive Committee Meeting (Chuck Santelli)May 16, 1996. Agenda; NYSUT Executive Committee minutes of April 18; schedule of Executive
Committee & Board of Directors meetings 1996-1997; notes on New York Coalition for
Ad-Free Education; letter to the editor of the Albany Times Union from NYSUT vice president
Alan Lubin, responding to letter from Republican state Senator Michael Nozzolio's letter
responding to Democratic Assemblyman Ed Sullivan's letter re state budget, May 9; two special
issues of newsletter, NYSUT Legislative Update, re retirees' health insurance and pension
supplementation, May 10; report on state aid, prepared by NYSUT Legislative Department,
Committee of 100, May 13-14, 1996; report, New York State Tax Cuts: "Promise or Peril?"
Committee of 100, May 13-14, 1996; Briefing Bulletin prepared for the NYSUT Board of Directors
and Staff, May 1996; Division of Research and Educational Services Monthly Report, May 1996;
memo to NYSUT officers re preliminary 3020a reform study, May 15; Change New York press
release, "Teachers, Not Pupils, Get Most of School Aid, CHANGE-NY Analysis Finds, May 9; draft
executive summary, Analysis of EAI's [Education Alternatives, Inc.] Proposals to Wappingers
Central School District, prepared by NYSUT Division of Research and Educational Services, May
1996; State Education Department New York State Elementary School Report Card: Prototype for
Typical Suburban School, draft April 24, 1996

Executive Committee MeetingFebruary 1996. Agendas for meetings of February 2 and 29; memo re conversion of sick leave
for pay, February 19; NYSUT Executive Committee minutes of January 16; nomination materials
for SRP (School-Related Personnel) Employee of the Year, February 2; proposed special order of
business: NYSUT Response to the Commissioner's Proposal to Phase Out Regents Competency Tests;
Division of Research and Educational Services Monthly Report, February 1996

66

Executive Committee MeetingJanuary 16, 1996. Agenda; draft NYSUT Response to the Commissioner's Proposal to Phase Out
Regents Competency Tests; Division of Research and Educational Services Monthly Report,
January 1996; memo re 1996-97 Executive Budget Proposal, December 20, 1995; draft special
order of business: Recommendations of the NYSUT Task Force on Elementary School Standards,
January 12; Special Order of Business #2: Regents Examinations and State Standards, adopted by
the 1995 Representative Assembly, March 1985; confidential draft no. 1: Teaching as
Profession, comparing NYSUT proposals with current status; affiliation requests

Executive Committee MeetingOctober 19, 1995. Agenda; School Revenues: Selected Issues (for discussion only), prepared
for NYSUT Executive Committee; resolutions re public school finance, school budget votes, and
educational funding; letter to Al Shanker from executive director of Council of the Great City
Schools, October 2, 1995; highly critical letter from Shanker in reply, October 10; Division
of Research and Educational Services Monthly Report, October 1995; report from Public Agenda,
"Assignment Incomplete: The Unfinished Business of Education Reform"; newspaper clippings;
draft report of the Task Force on the NYSUT Representative Assembly; NYSUT Briefing Bulletins
prepared for Board of Directors and staff, re 1995 New York Court of Appeals Decision on
School Finance, Mandatory Continuing Education; confidential memo re UFT coordination,
September 13

Administrative Committee MeetingOctober 29, 1996. Agenda; list of home telephone numbers of NYSUT managers; press release by
New York State School Boards Association, "Reform of New York's Teacher Tenure Laws Is Crucial
First Step to Improving Public Schools' Performance," October 16

66

Administrative Committee MeetingOctober 15, 1996. Agenda

66

Administrative Committee MeetingSeptember 17, 1996. Agenda; list of articles for upcoming issue of New York Teacher

Administrative Committee MeetingMay 28, 1996. Agenda; Mid-Hudson Regional Office 1995-96 stipends/release time list for
officers, by local; list of calls made by Nassau Regional Office in May from phone bank;
schedule of mailings for political campaign season

Administrative Committee MeetingOctober 3, 1995. Agenda; letter from NYSUT president Tom Hobart congratulating Tom Donahue
on his election as president of the AFL-CIO, noting the importance of restructuring the local
labor councils to reinvigorate the labor movement, September 7, 1995

Board of Directors MeetingJune 25, 1996. Agenda; minutes of meetings of June 13, February 29, and February 2-3; NYSUT
Building Corporation Membership meeting agenda for June 25 and minutes of December 1, 1995;
President's Report; list of personnel activity, 2/2/96-6/26/96; NYSUT financial statements and
membership reports as of May 31, 1996; NYSUT 1996 Survey of Wappingers Falls Residents: Report
of Findings, May 28, 1996; NYSUT Briefing Bulletin on new Commissioner's Regulations re
Regents exams, June 1996; memo urging early endorsement of 27th Congressional District
candidate Thomas Fricano; year-end report of the Division of Research and Educational
Services, September 1, 1995 August 31, 1996; NYSUT Committee Nominations, 1996- 1998;
assignment of referred resolutions; calendar of Executive Committee and Board of Directors
meetings 1996-1997; memo to NYSUT Board of Directors from president Tom Hobart recommending
members for Ad Hoc Task Force on School Funding, June 25, with attached resolution by
Representative Assembly, urging creation of task force; guidelines for paid advertisement
announcing community college endorsements for local (county) elections; list of requests for
affiliation; letter to local presidents from Tom Hobart, urging attendance at upcoming AFT,
AFL-CIO, and NYSUT conventions, June 11; NYSUT Regents' Report Card, June 1996; draft Report
on Proposals for a 12-month School Year; Regents Task Force on Teaching Focus Areas; draft
versions of two school report cards from the State Education Department, with cover memo from
vice president Antonia Cortese, June 18; memo re preliminary state aid budget information

66

Board of Directors Meeting Feb. 2: 3, 1996February 2-3, 1996. Agenda; minutes of meeting of December 1-2, 1995; minutes of Executive
Committee meetings of January 16 and February 2; President's Report; Report of the Second Vice
President Walter E. Dunn, Jr.; Report of the Secretary-Treasurer; revised NYSUT response to
Commissioner's proposal to phase out Regents competency tests; Proposed Amendments to the
Contractual Agreement between the Syracuse Teachers Association, Inc., and the Syracuse City
School District, January 1, 1995, through June 30, 1999; nomination for NYSUT SRP Employee of
the Year; list of requests for affiliation; memo to Political Action Committee members, Board
of Directors, and VOTE/COPE coordinators re possible early retirement incentive to narrow
range of public employees, with attached newspaper clippings, January 29; NYSUT Information
Bulletin re 1996-97 Executive Budget impact on public schools; Division of Research and
Educational Services monthly report, February 1996; Legislative Update newsletter, January 26;
legislative memoranda in support of efficiency study grant for education, categorical aid to
school districts and BOCES; brochure from NYS Educational Conference Board, opposing state aid
cuts; Recommendations of the NYSUT Task Force on Elementary School Standards, January 1996;
handwritten notes

66

Board of Directors MeetingDecember 1-2, 1995. Agenda; minutes of Executive Committee meetings of December 1 and
November 16, 1995; President's Report; Report of the Second Vice President Walter E. Dunn,
Jr.; Report of the Secretary-Treasurer Fred Nauman; consolidated financial statements, year
ended August 31, 1995; NYSUT membership comparison as of October 31, 1995, vs. fiscal year end
1995; related statements; personnel activity 9/8/95-12/1/95; newspaper clippings re Internet,
noting that the Senate had started a web page; summary of findings of Empire State Survey re
Students at Risk: New Yorkers on Education, conducted July 6-24; Report of Committee to Review
Responsibilities of Board Members; Testimony of Alan Lubin, Executive Vice President, NYSUT,
to the Standing Committees on Education, Local Governments, Real Property Taxation, and Ways
& Means, Legislative Commission on Government Administration, November 29; memo from
vice president Antonia Cortese re Shared Decisionmaking Biennial Review, November 27

66

Board of Directors MeetingSeptember 8-9, 1995 Agenda; President's Report; minutes of June 26-27 meeting; Executive
Committee minutes of September 8; resolution re crisis in collective bargaining, with attached
list of members of task force on local bargaining; proposed resolution granting pensions for
NYSUT Board of Directors; special issue of AFT newsletter, Action, re standards of conduct and
achievement, August 18, 1995; memo updating on "Lessons for Life" media campaign, with
attached newspaper clippings; list of political action committee members, district
assignments, and contact numbers; letter from Al Shanker to CEO of PepsiCo, Inc., urging
company boycott of sweetener supplier A. E. Staley Manufacturing Company, noting anti-worker
corporate behavior, lockout, August 14; NYSUT financial statements as of July 31; list of
personnel activity (new hires, promotions, etc); tentative program and timeline for 1996
Representative Assembly; draft NYSUT employees' retirement plan amendments; testimony of
Antonia Cortese, first vice president, NYSUT, to the Board of Regents and New York State
Education Department at their 1996 Legislative Conference, September 13, 1995; memo re
expiration of term of members of the Board of Regents, request from Cortese to NYSUT Board of
Directors for names of potential replacements; materials re Goals 2000: Educate America Act
grant applications; NYSUT Final Legislative Report, with cover memo to local presidents from
NYSUT executive vice president Alan Lubin; NYSUT Division of Research and Educational Services
monthly report; AFL-CIO state legislative advisory letter re attack on state prevailing wage
law; other AFL flyers; 1995 NYSUT calendar for conferences and meetings; materials from the
NYS Labor-Religion Coalition

66

Misc. Meetings: Special Education CertificationJune 25, 1996. Education Commissioner's Commentary: The cost and quality of special
education, in New York School Boards newsletter, June 24; text of Commissioner's Regulations
re certificates for teaching special education, reissued 7/95; confidential memorandum re SED
draft memo entitled High School Course Credit for Students with Disabilities, May 31;
presentation graphs, New York State Education Department Office of Vocational and Educational
Services for Individuals with Disabilities: Report on Disability Issues, June 1996

Misc. Meetings: Educational Conference BoardNovember 1, 1995. Agenda; articles of agreement; minutes of October 4 meeting; list of
officers and member organizations; Confidential Report to the NYSUT Board of Directors on the
New York State School Board's [sic] Association Annual Convention, October 19-22, 1995; letter
from the ECB to president of National Education Association of New York (NEA-NY), welcoming
the organization as a member, October 20; state Supreme Court decision and order re FOIL
request for 3020a records re principal at Jericho school district, allowing release with
portions redacted, with cover memo, October 25

66

Misc. Meetings: NYS Education First AllianceNovember 1, 1995. Update on latest congressional continuing resolution and its impact on New
York education funding, with cover fax sheet to (apparent) members of alliance, February 1,
1996; earlier updates on federal legislation, including loss of Medicaid reimbursement,
October 31 and 25, 1995

Misc. Meetings: Fiscal Policy Institute: Federal Budget
DebateSeptember 8, 1995. Materials for Fiscal Policy Institute Briefing for Government Officials
and Community Leaders: The Federal Budget Debate and Its Implications for New York State

67

School District OrganizationSpring. Memo to NYSUT Board of Directors and other officers from Charles Santelli, director
of Policy and Program Development, re districts recommended for study of possible
consolidation, with attached Commissioner's recommendations for discussion and list of
targeted districts, January 4, 1993; State Education Department report, "School District
Reorganization: An Introduction: A Guide to the Reorganization of School Districts in New York
State," revised January 1991; State Education Department document, "Master Plan for School
District Reorganization in New York State, Revised," 1958; "A Guide to School District
Reorganization for New York State," October 1, 1957; booklet prepared for NYSUT staff use,
"Centralization, Annexation, Consolidation, Dissolution," April 1993; Report of the Statewide
Advisory Committee on School District Organization; related reports

67

Affiliation RequestsMemos

67

Executive Committee MeetingJune 12, 1997. Agenda; minutes of April 10 and May 1 meetings; financial report as of May
31; NYSUT Building Corporation Board of Directors meeting agenda, June 12, 1997, and
membership meeting agenda and minutes, June 25, 1996; NYSUT Division of Research and
Educational Services monthly report, June 1997; NYSUT Briefing Bulletin re NYSUT principles on
graduation requirements, May 1997

Executive Committee MeetingFebruary 28, 1997. Agenda; appeal before the Commissioner re Yonkers tenure case (Carol
Craft and Ruth Dworkin); Report of Ad Hoc Task Force on K-12 School Funding, with cover memo,
February 14; Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the NYSUT Education and Learning Trust,
with cover memo to Executive Committee and Board of Directors, February 28; draft policy
statement in support of accreditation of schools of education, February 28; memo recommending
nonoccurrence with 1996 Representative Assembly resolution on standards of achievement,
February 27, 1997; nomination form for NYSUT School-Related Personnel (SRP) Employee of the
Year; report of the secretary-treasurer Fred Nauman to the NYSUT Board of Directors meeting,
February 28-March 1, 1997; financial statements as of January 31, 1997; NYSUT membership
comparison as of January 31, 1997, vs. fiscal year end 1996; membership dues arrears
outstanding as of fiscal year ending 8/31/96; personnel activity 1/10/97-2/28/97 (new hires,
retirements, etc.); memo from Fred Nauman re proposed dues for 1997-98 and 1998-99; NYSUT
Constitutional Amendment: Article VI Dues; Committee on Local Union Administration, Best
Practices of NYSUT Locals, February 1997; requests for affiliation; editorial on the death and
impact of Al Shanker, Schenectady Daily Gazette, February 25; Division of Research and
Educational Services monthly report, February

67

Executive Committee MeetingJanuary 10, 1997. Agenda; minutes of December 19, 1996, meeting; memo from vice president
Toni Cortese re draft proposal about staff development; Division of Research and Educational
Services monthly report, January; PSC Executive Council resolution on the impact of welfare
reform on CUNY, December 19; proposed calendar of meetings; 1997 Representative Assembly
committee nominations, policies and procedures action items; nominations for PAC appointments;
recommendations of Mills' Task Force on Future of BOCES; NYSUT and Subsidiary Consolidated
Financial Statements and Supplemental Schedules, years ended August 31, 1996 and 1995; report
of the secretary-treasurer Fred Nauman; memo re new position for web development in public
relations department; memo to Tom Hobart from Pension & Retirement Committee re
resolution on retroactive membership and prior service credit for members not told of their
right to join TRS (Teachers Retirement System); requests for affiliation; resolution re
procedure for affiliation of secondary locals

67

Executive Committee MeetingDecember 19, 1996. Agenda; minutes of October 24 and November 19 meetings; Division of
Research and Educational Services monthly report, December; summary of field services hiring;
memo re Regents proposed graduation requirements; Associated Press (AP) report of computer
error affecting report cards at hundreds of schools across the state; memo re NYSUT
recommendations to Commissioner's Task Force on BOCES; committee report and recommendations on
resolutions referred to the Board of Directors by the 1996 Representative Assembly; requests
for affiliation; Salient Points of the New York City Governance Bill; Governor's Program Bill,
1996 Extraordinary Session memorandum; memo from Tom Hobart recommendations for constitutional
amendments, committee chairs; update on NYSUT Ad Hoc Task Force on School Funding; NYSUT
membership analysis as of November 31, 1996 and 1995; U.S. Department of Labor form LM-2,
Labor Organization Annual Report, with cover memo from accountants re reporting obligation of
NYSUT officers receiving compensation over $10,000

67

Executive Committee MeetingOctober 24, 1996. Agenda; requests for affiliation; Division of Research and Educational
Services monthly report, October; Remarks by Donald Benker, chair, School Funding Task Force,
NYSUT, at a discussion sponsored by H. Carl McCall, New York State Comptroller, on an Agenda
for Equitable and Cost-Effective School Finance Reform, October 17, 1996; memo from English
teachers at Lindenhurst Senior High School, criticizing low level of new Comprehensive
Examination in English, October 23; individual reports of the three July 10 focus forums
(English Language, Mathematics, and Elementary School) on student achievement standards and
the new assessments; summary report

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Executive Committee MeetingSeptember 27, 1996. Agenda; minutes of August 14 meeting; Division of Research and
Educational Services monthly report, September; requests for affiliation; proposed sequence of
teacher certification; field and legal report; 1997 Representative Assembly tentative program;
draft report on proposals for a 12-month school year

Officer's MeetingJune 17, 1997. Agenda; tentative calendar of the Progressive Caucus of the American
Federation of Teachers, with attached list of officers and committee chairs; tentative agenda
for NYSUT Board of Directors' meeting of June 30, 1997; agenda for management meeting of June
26; SRP recommendations for service on NYSUT committees

Officer's MeetingMarch 25, 1997. Agenda; memo from the National Committee for Public Education &
Religious Liberty (PEARL) re amicus brief for ACLU appeal challenging Ohio Federal District
Court ruling in favor of school board that opened public meetings with prayer, March 19;
newspaper clippings re criticisms of Industrial Development Agency (IDA) tax breaks for
corporations; draft resolution re NYSUT reimbursement policy for legal services; agenda for
NYSUT/Cornell ILR Leadership Institute and list of participants; program for Northeast Region
Education Forum and related memo from National Education Association; job description for
assistant in research/educational services; summary of findings from First Things First: What
Americans Expect from Public Schools, by Public Agenda, 1994-96; NYSUT and AFT resolutions on
affirmative action issues

Officer's MeetingDecember 10, 1996. Agenda; tentative NYSUT Response to Regents School Aid Proposal, revised
December 6; memo re AFL-CIO State Federation dues; recommendations for member appointments to
constitutional amendments, resolutions committee chairpersons, and timekeeper; announcement of
new recognition programs for 1997, Local Union Community Service Award and Life Line Honor
Roll; newspaper clipping noting power of NYSUT in Albany; memo recommending renewal of major
underwriting commitment for Inside Albany television show, December 9; memo recommending
realignment of duties for two legislative lobbying staff, November 15; memo re Occupational
Education Committee recommendations; memo and draft resolution opposing parental rights
movement, said to be backed by coalition of conservative organizations, December 2; draft
letter to president of Connetquot Teachers Association, notifying him of charges of improperly
withholding dues collected from members, demanding payment, December 3

Officer's MeetingOctober 29, 1996. Agenda; memo from NYSUT general counsel re summons and complaint against
NYSUT for breach of duty of fair representation in Mt. Vernon case; memo from general counsel
re Auerbach v. Harborfields Central School District, with attached case; letter from
Farmingdale Federation of Teachers to Retiree Advisory Committee, thanking them for active
involvement of retirees against attempt by school district to pit active employees against
retirees in negotiating lower contributions by district for health benefits

Officer's MeetingSeptember 17, 1996. Agendas for Board of Directors' and Executive Committee meetings of
September 27; memo re VOTE/COPE contribution flow chart (attached); memo describing crisis
situation at Salmon River school district between teachers and Mohawk nation members

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Officer's MeetingSeptember 4, 1996. Agenda; document, Strategic Planning System, listing 5- and 10-year
vision for NYSUT and education in New York State, including the abolition of school boards,
the right to strike, and the ability of students to compete academically with international
trading partners; memo from president Tom Hobart re need for leadership program for local
leaders, proposed budget; letter from Assemblyman John Flanagan (Northport) to constituent,
defending tenure system, August 20; letter to NYSUT president Tom Hobart from State Education
Department Deputy Commissioner James Kadamus inviting nomination of four teachers to serve on
new Statewide Task Force on BOCES, August 13; letter to James Wood, NYSUT executive director
of Field and Legal Services, from president of Commack Teachers Association, requesting
assistance in liable dispute with newly elected member of the school board, August 23; memo re
request by AFT International Affairs for financial support for Podkrepa Teachers Union of
Bulgaria, September 4

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Officer's MeetingAug. 13, 1996. Agenda; Board of Directors and Executive Committee meeting tentative agendas
of August 14; NYSUT position on local boards of education policy deviations from statutory
tenure rules; letter from American Cancer Society re SmokeLess States grant program, August 7;
memo from New York Healthy Schools Network, urging endorsement of Clean Air, Clean Water Bond
Act to replace coal-fired boilers in schools, August 9

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Officer's MeetingJune 18, 1996. Agenda; Board of Directors meeting tentative agenda for June 25; NYSUT
Dataline newsletter for computer users, first edition (summer 1996); memo re new voicemail
system; Strategic Planning System, listing 5- and 10-year vision for NYSUT and education in
New York State; clipping from Education Week, "Texas Teachers' Union Assails Chief's 'Gag
Order'," June 12; list of personnel by local and year; list of total number of new presidents
from 1993-95; analysis of local presidents tenure by length of service, turnover rate, gender,
as of 1995

Officer's MeetingMay 14, 1996. Agenda; budget items, including bottom line impact of major cost increases and
decreases; list of NYSUT committee nominations; report on the 12-month school year, prepared
by NYSUT Division of Research and Educational Services

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Officer's MeetingApril 30, 1996. Agenda; proposed amendment to Education Law providing for greater
flexibility in scheduling the school calendar, developed by NYS Council of School
Superintendents and submitted for review to the Education Commissioner, NYSUT, and NEA, April
10; memo re estate planning/investment management services for surviving spouses/families

Officer's MeetingNovember 7, 1995. Agenda; tentative agenda for Executive Committee meeting of November 16;
materials by Committee to Review Responsibilities of Board Members and At-Large Members of the
Board, with outline of responsibilities; comparison of proposals from Hilton and Sheraton as
venues for 2000 Representative Assembly; CWA salary per diem schedule

Robert Allen CorrespondenceJune - December, 1976. Chronological files of memos to regional coordinators re internal
financial matters, from rebukes for the price of a meal, number and duration of phonecalls to
headquarters, or non-bulk purchases of mimeograph paper to demands for receipts and
explanations for vouchers; list of locals in arrears; school budget analysis requests;
correspondence with NYSUT legal counsel as to whether a local charitable lottery by the Fulton
Teachers Association was legal, December; correspondence re wording of strike pledge by
Skaneateles Teachers Association in return for recognition, December; correspondence re
previously unknown minority local in Sandy Creek, December; correspondence re certification of
librarian in Vestal/Avoca, December; memo re proposals for Executive Committee for developing
closer relationship with non-teaching organizations affiliated with NYSUT, November 29;
affiliation status of various locals; memo to Jim Conti discussing relationship of Field
Services to Legal, July 9; list of secondary locals approved for affiliation, June 23

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Robert Allen Correspondence (1 of 2)January - December, 1977. Chronological files of memos re internal financial matters,
including request for furniture and other equipment, dues and expense reimbursements, strike
loans to locals, and problems with central purchasing of office supplies, leased car
maintenance; PERB rules of procedure; memo re cost of health insurance; confidential memo re
"special" public versions of NYSUT and AFT budgets to be used if requested, December 9, 1977;
inquiry from a BOCES employee in Brockport requesting assistance in organizing a local,
November 30; letter from Lewiston-Porter Association of Educational Employees, consisting of
clerical workers and school nurses, inquiring about affiliation, November 4, with reply; memo
re complaint from Mid-Hudson office that locals were being used to break in new field reps who
would then be transferred out after gaining some experience, November 28; list of locals in
arrears, October 25; list of arbitration cases by category, 1973-77, with cover letter to
professor at York College of Pennsylvania, October 24; updates on school- related units (SRPs,
non-teaching personnel); status report of Lakeland and Yonkers strikes, September 7; materials
from State Education Department Office for Education of Children with Handicapping Conditions
re new regional associates, August; memos demanding reimbursement from field reps for